Deadly Attraction: 2pAmerica x Reader x America
by YourHero213
Summary: Reader was a normal girl living a perfect life. That is, until her foster parents began treating her like an annoyance. Now she's met Allen—mysterious. Rebellious. Gun-obsessed. But he loves her, and he won't let anyone get between them. Not even her best friend, Alfred; and especially not her parents. Then he gives her a choice: Him... or them. Who will she choose? [Re-upload.]
1. Burden of Sinners

_A thousand times, we __**die**__ in one life._

_We crumble, break and tear apart until the layers of __**illusion**__ are burned away and all that is left,_

_Is the __**truth**__ of who and what we really __**are**__._

* * *

**XxXx Prologue xXxX**

Why did things have to come to this?

At this point, she didn't even know who she was. Who had she been? Who will she be? And when they release him, will she still be the same person?

She shuddered; she didn't even want to think about him. She had someone else now. Someone… that she belonged with.

A few months ago, her life took a turn for the worst—in the sharpest way possible. She had never felt more betrayed, lied to, or ignored. It was only natural for her to turn to someone like him.

...Someone rebellious. Someone strong. Someone who would protect her. Because everything and everyone she knew had let her down.

But when he held up that shotgun, she knew. She just _knew_. And she wasn't going to keep up this charade with him.

He got what he deserved, and she understood that. So why did she still feel guilty? She had her parents, her little brother, and her best friend. There was nothing more she could ask for.

No matter how she felt about this certain person, she knew her memories of him would never fade. Those sleepless night, those dreamy days, those mesmerizing red eyes that still captivated her to this day. His charm. His mind. Everything about him, she would remember for the rest of her life.

_She fell prey to his heart._

He was a criminal. A predator. A mentally-insane, murderous psycho.

Only a few days ago, she didn't know that. He didn't seem that way, nor act. And all she thought was that he was simply a troubled boy with a dark, complicated past.

She'd thought she loved him. And, to be honest, some parts of her truly did. Maybe still to this day, even after all the things he did. Or, rather… the things he was going to try. The things he'd wanted to do.

She knew more than anything in the world that he still loved her. Even after what she did to him.

It all started so normally. So sweet, in its own sort of fucked up way. Just like in an old horror movie.

Let's go back to that beginning.

_(She = you.)_

* * *

**Chapter One: Burden of Sinners**

* * *

"Y'know, _, I always thought you were one to hang with the preppy crowd," Alfred mused, his face half-stuffed with a hamburger.

I slurped on my soda as I turned to look at him, "What? Why?"

He chewed, and then set down the burger. It balanced on his knee, since the car's dashboard was already filled with wrappers, CDs, and unfinished math homework. "Because, we do go to a private school after all," His blue eyes slid to me, "And when you first came, I totally thought you'd start hanging with, y'know, _them_. But… instead, you chose me. It's… nice." He grinned.

I couldn't help but smile back. Alfred was the only one at our school who wasn't the prim-perfect, model-ready type of rich kid. "…Yeah," I agreed. _It _is_ nice. I'm the one who has you._

The other students didn't quite accept him. They were all the stereotypical snobby private-schoolers that both Alfred and I could have sworn we'd seen in every college movie. They either thought Alfred was too loud, too hyper, or just too annoying. I didn't speak to them.

He finished up his after-school fast food, and soon I did as well. "So. How long has it been now? Three years?"

Even without asking, I knew what he was talking about. "Yep. Remember when I first moved here, and you literally ran into my house while we were still unloading from the U-Haul and begged for me to come and play?"

He laughed, "Hey, I was what, twelve? Thirteen? And I didn't say 'play'—I said 'hang out'!"

I rolled my eyes, "Sure." _But you still ran into my house before I'd even gone inside twice. I was so happy that someone already wanted to be my friend. So very happy._

"Good times, good times. My mom wants to see you, by the way."

I nodded, "I wanna go over to your house again. But, you know, my parents lately…"

He nodded as well, his face suddenly solemn. "Yeah, I know…"

These days, Alfred was my only friend. And not just because he was basically the only person I talked to at school—but because my parents seemed to dismiss me more and more as of late. They snapped at me, they argued with me, they hid things from me. _Secrets_. Don't ask why, but I just knew it.

My parents were, to put it kindly, not my friends.

Well… not even that told the whole truth. They weren't even my parents.

Foster parents. Henry and Lauren.

I don't even like to talk about my real parents. They were nothing but a disappointment, really. Mom? She gave birth to me, threw me over to daddy, left, and never looked back. She was a prostitute. Dad? He kept me until about four years ago. Then he started drinking again. And doing drugs. I was taken into foster care before he could start beating me.

But Henry and Lauren weren't the perfect parents either. Sure, they took care of me, and they gave me everything I could have ever wanted, until I didn't want these expensive gifts anymore and realized I wanted their _love_. Which they didn't have, they didn't give. They just needed a kid to make themselves look good. Like, well… a _family_. They couldn't have kids. They wanted to be the perfect, rich family that all their friends were. They _needed_ that too, apparently. So they got me, and they improved their image.

At least I had Alfred. Unlike me, his family was kind of adorable. And loving. Mr. Jones is a lawyer, and the Mrs. is a nurse. Their daughter—Alfred's sister—Amelia, is in college studying to be a veterinarian. They're all blonde, with bright blue eyes. Alfred wants to be a professional football player, and that's sort of the only reason he agreed to go to this stuck-up private school—their amazing football program.

"I haven't been hearing good things about them lately,"

I turned in my seat to face him, "What?"

He looked down, and fiddled with his soft drink's straw. "Your parents. People around town have been talking. Even my dad asked me to check up on you… mostly your parents. He wants to know if everything's alright."

I looked back down to my lap, "Oh…" Things weren't alright. "Well… you already know my dad lost his job."

Alfred nodded slowly, "Yeah…" Where we lived, money meant everything. A job loss would be like the end of the world to any family here.

And my parents were living proof that it was true. "I don't know what's gonna happen. My dad told me to come home right after school, but…" I trailed off again. As always, I was mad at him. Every day, it seemed, I was angry with Henry and Lauren. All they did was yell at me and… someone else. But I'll get to that later. "He said he needed to talk to me, and the rest of the family. But he-"

"-He's been kind of a dick to you?" Alfred said it like he was kidding—grin and all—but we both knew his statement was spot-on.

I exhaled, "Yeah. You just… you wouldn't believe how they've been treating me lately!" I suddenly broke down, covered my face, and turned as far away from him as possible. My heart was suddenly hurting, tears stinging in the corners of my eyes.

His eyes instantly widened, "What…? Dude are you serious? Is it… really getting that bad? …Dude?" His voice was soft as he tried to reach for me, but I didn't want him to touch me. It was a bit difficult to show since I was sitting in the passenger seat of his car while he was in the driver's.

"I just… No, it's alright. We're fine. I… need to get home now." I quickly pulled myself together. After all, I was getting used to the pain. And getting used to hiding it as well. But sometimes, I lost my grip.

Alfred's eyebrows creased, and his cerulean blue orbs filled with worry as he watched my unstable form. "Huh, are you sure…? Because, if you really need to talk, then I guess-"

"-No, it's okay. Really." I looked him in the eyes and tried to smile. "Please. Can you drive me home?"

He tried to pry a bit more, but I didn't let him. I already felt bad about it; he was only trying to help. And lately I just kept pushing him away. That didn't help our friendship, and I didn't like that. But I was facing some major hardships at home. I didn't want to bring him down with my troubles. After all, things would get better, wouldn't they? I didn't want to ruin our relationship over it.

Part of me knew he would understand, since he was my best friend, but another part of me was too ashamed to tell him. I hated it. Alfred had always been someone special to me—very, _very_ special—and I wished I had the confidence to tell him how things really were at my house.

…But I just couldn't.

Soon, I got him to drive me home. His car was brand-new, so it didn't take very long to pull out of the McDonald's parking lot and get me to my house. Alfred was only sixteen, but he'd gotten his permit at fifteen and a half and his license on his sixteenth birthday. I felt like scum compared to him; I was almost sixteen and hadn't yet thought to get my permit yet.

"Hey. Don't be shy to call me if you need anything, 'kay? Like if you just need to talk and stuff. Alfie's here for you! 'Kay?" He said as he pulled up to the enormous, circular driveway.

I gave him a smile, "Okay." _I already know you're here for me, no matter what. So why can't I bring myself to tell you…?_

He gave me a wink and a thumbs-up. I smiled again and began to unbuckle my seat belt. "Alright. See you at school." I said as I exited the car and shut the passenger door.

He grinned, "See ya!" His tires screeched as he took off down our driveway. When his car was halfway to the gate, I heard him yell out a _"Text me, dude!"_.

I sighed. He was gone now. And as always, I was left feeling like many things were left unsaid.

Not just about my situation at home. But feelings between him and I, relationship-wise.

Of course I liked him. Like, _liked_ him. What, was I in second grade? I had a crush on him. How else am I supposed to say it? I had _feelings_ for him? I was… interested in him?

Whatever. I knew I liked him as more than a friend. But did he return the feelings? I had no idea. He never talked about girls, and he was pretty oblivious to love and relationships. I was almost starting to think he was asexual or something! He's never had a girlfriend, but he _has_ once mentioned he thought I was cute…

Although, a crush is a crush. It's nothing serious. So I've been able to keep it in all these years without it bothering me too much. It always helped that he never got a girlfriend or liked anyone. I had no idea how I'd feel about something like that. First and foremost, he was my _friend_, after all. Best… friend.

When I finished the long walk from my driveway to the front door, the mansion was already unlocked._ Hm, that's strange. Usually Inez locks the door… _I thought to myself. Inez was our family's live-in housekeeper. "…I'm home," I say as I step in the door.

I'd said it ironically. To feel like a normal family for once. I knew there wouldn't be a happy, light-hearted mood in my house, and that there never really had been.

I didn't get a response. Strange, I'd half-expected the silence and half-expected for Henry or Lauren to shout down at me from upstairs. Possibly about how late I was. About how they'd told me to come straight home from school while instead I'd ignored them and stayed out with Alfred.

"Big sister?" I heard a small voice float in from the living room.

I instantly felt a pain in your chest. The poor kid. "Peter…?" I replied quietly. They hadn't hurt him, did they?

Quickly, I dropped my backpack and half-walked, half-ran for the living room. Damn, why was our house so big? Oh wait, the answer was simple. Henry and Lauren liked to show off how much money they made. Too bad ol'Henry recently lost his job.

"Peter, are you okay?" I asked once I made it into one of the mansion's many living room areas.

The small, fragile six-year-old boy glanced up from his mess of toy cars and ships. "I-I'm fine," He tried to smile, "…I'm just glad you're here." He whimpered, now looking back down.

He was my new little brother. Henry and Lauren had adopted him a year ago to make the family feel more 'complete'. But, just like they did with me, they barely acknowledged him once he came home. He became just another showpiece of their collection. The picture-perfect family they'd aimed for was visible from the outside, but far from it on the inside.

"Where are Henry and Lau- I mean, mom and dad?"

He mindlessly trailed a toy car across the nearby couch's armrest, "They're here. But, they've been yelling a lot. At each other and stuff. Like always…" He trailed off. For being just a child, he was pretty smart and knew how to describe things to you. Just like a little reporter.

I sighed again. Of course, I felt bad for him. Such a bright kid like him should've gone to a loving family. Not a broken one like mine.

"I just don't see what you want me to do!" I heard a familiar voice shout from upstairs.

My ears instantly perked up. Normally my foster parents 'chatted' about their… 'current circumstances' while in Henry's sound-proof office, not out in the halls. Maybe for once I'd get to hear what they were arguing about. I knew it probably had to do with Henry recently losing his job, but I guessed there was more to it than that. _Much_ more. Things they didn't want me to know. They'd kept it down low for a while, but all the yelling had long made me suspicious about if they were hiding something.

"Well, Lauren? What other options do we have?!" It sounded like Henry was coming down the stairs, Lauren in tow.

"It's all _your fault_! How could you do this? We trusted you!" She nearly screeched. By now Henry had walked into the kitchen, probably to grab another Jack Daniel's.

I glanced over to Peter, "We should go up to your room…" I whispered. The kitchen was closely attached to the living room.

His blue eyes widened with tears, "But…-"

"-Don't give me that crap. I was only trying to keep us safe, and you know that!"

"'Keep us _safe'_?!" Lauren echoed, her loud voice nearly rebounding off the walls, clearly filled with disbelief; "You lied, _stole money_ from your own job's company, _and_ gambled away all our savings?! Is that your idea of _safe_?" She was seething with anger by now, in contrast to Henry drinking away at the kitchen table.

At this, I couldn't help but gasp. Henry had done _what_?

"I was trying to win back some money to keep us together for a while. Without this job, we're nothing. And, now that we lost our savings…" He paused to take another drink of his alcohol, "I already told you what we have to do." He leaned back in his chair, as if nothing mattered to him.

Lauren was left speechless. I didn't know what Henry had in mind, or whatever it was he told Lauren, but I guessed it was something drastic. I had no idea to what extent.

"Peter…" I looked down to my little brother, and saw he was covering his ears with a couch cushion.

Lauren ran her fingers through her hair; I had never seen her look this stressed. Henry had never quite drowned himself in whiskey either, only recently had he begun using it to escape his problems. It was frightening. I had already seen what the horrors of alcohol could do to a person—like my own biological father.

All of a sudden, Lauren sighed deeply, features still cross, and glanced over towards me. With a frown and uncaring voice, she told me, "We have to move. We can't live here in San Diego anymore. We simply can't afford it, due to your father's own horrible decisions." She turned and left, not even bothering to see my reaction. A few seconds later, I heard her bedroom door slam.

Peter slowly removed the pillow, obviously noticing the silence. "Is… is everything okay?" He nearly whispered.

Henry ignored him. He just continued to drink his Jack Daniel's, straight from the bottle.

I exhaled, heart pounding. Trying my best to smile, I softly ruffled the top of his hair. "It'll be okay." _…I hope._

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

Henry and Lauren hardly spoke at dinner.

It was canned food, since I'd found out earlier that Lauren had fired Inez. _We can't afford the luxury of a live-in housekeeper anymore, _she'd heartlessly told my shocked face. She hadn't even looked up from a stack of bills as she'd told me. Even though she knew Inez and I had grown close.

Inez had always cooked the most amazing dinners. And, even though I didn't want to sound like a brat, I had to admit that I hated canned food or anything else that was cheaply made. Henry and Lauren had gotten me spoiled, but that was back when they were rich.

_So we really have to move?_ I thought as I picked at my plate of black beans. It hadn't quite sunk in earlier, but the eerie silence of my foster parents had long reminded me. Just the thought felt horrifying. I'd be leaving Alfred, my only friend? Where were we even moving to? Was it far? Too far to see Alfred? There had to be some other option besides moving, wasn't there?

I quickly realized there wasn't. Most families had close-by relatives, or even family friends, at least _grandparents_. But our family didn't. So there was no one that Henry and Lauren could move in with.

Both of them were born without brothers or sisters. That ruled out any possible aunts, uncles, or cousins. My foster parents had friends, but they weren't _real_ friends. They were just people they knew from the country club; not nearly close enough to offer financial aid or a place to stay. And grandparents? Both sets were dead.

"W-Why is everyone so quiet?" Peter murmured, head staring down at the plate of canned beans. He couldn't bring himself to look up.

I'd wanted to ask the same question. Except, I knew better. They wouldn't give me a real answer. Plus they were both clearly stressed out and irritated—they would bite my head off if I spoke to them.

A silence followed Peter's question. Henry downed more of his Jack Daniel's bottle, while Lauren continued to eat one tasteless bean at a time. Both were staring off into space, eyebrows creased, dark circles beneath their eyelids, and scowls on their faces.

I couldn't take it anymore. They hadn't explained anything about their situation. Not even after Lauren informed me that the family was moving. I exhaled and set down my fork, "Mom, dad…" I said it like a warning, "Can you tell us what's gonna happen, _please_? You told me you had to talk to me after school, and you never did that." It was fair enough. They couldn't yell at me for asking this. I was safe. And so was Peter.

Lauren closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Henry set down his bottle for once and eyed me down, "…You want to know what's going to happen?" The way he said it sent chills down my spine. I knew this bit of news would not be pretty.

"_Yes_," I replied, slow and careful.

He sighed, and carelessly scratched his cheek. "We obviously can't afford to live in this mansion anymore. I lost all our money. We have to move to where the cost of living is cheaper, and where I can find a new job."

Nervously, I drummed my fingers against the tabletop. "Where is that? Do you know yet?"

"I do. It's in Texas."

I immediately felt a prickly heat spread over my body. A heavy feeling fell upon my shoulders, my head started to ache, and faint black dots slowly began to obscure my vision, "…_Texas_?" I was starting to feel dizzy. That state was too far away.

He nodded, "Near Houston. It's a small, beat-up old house that is in need of repairs, but I bought it already."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Before I could even respond, Lauren hissed, "Tell her who you bought it from."

I instantly looked back towards Henry, "Who…?"

He downed the rest of his whiskey and slammed it back against the table, "My dad."

…_His dad._

The man who would be my grandfather. The man I should've met years ago. The man my foster father had now apparently been lying to me about since my adoption. "…What?"

Peter's high-pitched voice cut in, "_Huh_? You told me your parents were dead!"

Lauren nodded, expression free of sympathy. She answered for her husband: "Well, they aren't. They own a housing complex, and once I forced your father into finally calling them, they let us rent the shittiest, most broken-down one bedroom house in the area. No one has rented it for years. We'll have to clean it out ourselves."

I was taking in too much. But these were things I had to know; things I had to know _right now _or else they would never be explained. "Peter and I have _grandparents_?" I glared directly at Henry, my teeth clenched, "Why didn't you _tell_ us?!"

He finally snapped. Bolting up from his chair—which screeched loudly and fell over in the process—he shouted, "Because it was easier to say they were dead than to tell you the truth!"

My eyes widened in horror._ Easier than telling me the truth? _"What do you mean?! They're your _mom and dad_!" I shouted back.

"No, they're penny-pinching monsters whose hearts shriveled up so long ago they can't remember even having them," He kicked the chair out of his path and stalked over to the refrigerator for more Jack, "They're slumlords in a horrible, hard-scrabble town, and until now, I hadn't spoken to them since I went to college." He pulled out a fresh bottle and threw the door closed. "Satisfied?"

I almost wanted to smack him. Getting off my chair, I faced him and spat, "So you stole money from customers in your corporate job, got caught, fired, gambled away all of our savings, _and_ have been lying to me and Peter?" I was practically breathless with indignation, "You're a thief, a gambler, and a liar!"

All was silent following my outburst. I had never spoken to Henry that way. When he was so cold and heartless towards me now, how would he react to my accusations?

Wordlessly, he set down his bottle. He glared at me with dark, beady eyes, and slowly advanced forward. I had never seen his jawline so tight or his expression so furious.

He made it to where I was standing. I saw him raise an arm. He aimed it towards my face. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the hit, but… it never came.

After a few seconds, I slowly fluttered my eyelids open. Henry had lowered his arm. He stared at me with unreadable features before gritting his teeth, snatching up his bottle, and exiting the kitchen.

Henry had never laid a hand on me before. As the times were changing, so would he. Lauren as well. They had already changed so much within the past few months. Somehow I wasn't surprised that Henry had almost hit me.

"Well then, let's clean up. We're going to have a garage sale this weekend. _, Peter. I need you to get rid of anything you don't need and put it in some boxes. Everything must go but our clothing and essentials. Cellphones will be canceled, except for one for emergencies." Lauren got up and threw her food down the drain. As she looked back up, she noticed I was still standing in the same spot. "What are you _doing_? Get packing! We have to leave for Texas as soon as we can!" The look on her face was strict, bitter.

Within a few days, my life had taken a sharp turn. From a mansion in California to a slum in Texas—and permanently enraged foster parents who wouldn't stop shouting. Financial ruin, debt, lies, excessive alcohol consumption and mistreat of children. Was Peter next? If Henry started beating me, would he do the same thing to my little brother?

…_Could things get any worse?_

I was moving almost halfway across the United States. Would I ever see my best friend again?

Little did I know, this was only the beginning of a real-life nightmare.

Because there was something there waiting for me in Texas. And a lesson about tempting the gods.

Someone who would make me question what I'd do at my breaking point. Someone who would awaken the darkness.

* * *

_**RE-UPLOAD:** This story got taken down by FanFiction so I'm just republishing it. Apparently reader-inserts aren't allowed on here. Originally this story was in second-person POV (ex: you/your), but I changed it to first-person POV (ex: I/me) to fit the rules. The narrator's now an OC called Reader, but I still won't be inserting a name; you can definitely still use your own. There are no changes to this story other than the POV. I hope you guys understand ;-; (And that this fanfic won't be deleted again.) (POV = Point Of View)_

* * *

**A.N.:** Shit's about to get real.

I can't wait for 2P!America's appearance next chapter. I just- ASDFGHJKL. *_* …Well I uh, hope you liked the first chapter, even though it was only used for setting up the main story… *cringe* (Keep in mind that this is mainly a 2P!America x Reader fic, with just a tense side of America x Reader)

Oh, and I'm not actually a Sealand fan, but a younger sibling was needed for the progression of this story. He's even younger than his real age here, ha. And don't worry, I won't make him annoyinglikeheisintheseries *coughcough*

Yes, 'Amelia' was Fem!America, because why not? The more America the better, right? /shot. Heh, it'd be funny if I also added 2P!Fem!America. Since we're all Amerifans here, yeah? /double shot.

I'm in love with him anyway. Review please?


	2. The Devil's Awakening

_**Words**__ are like __**bullets,**_

_And they __**kill**__ as good as any __**gun**__._

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Devil's Awakening**

"…I never thought you'd leave me like this,"

I tossed Alfred a puzzled look. "You… Y-You're acting so dramatic."

He grinned. "Haha, I know. I'm just…" He shrugged, glanced away, and let out a sigh. "I just can't believe you're leaving."

I felt yet another pain in my chest. Alfred had been mostly himself the whole day, until tonight. He'd known since yesterday that I was moving away; but since this night fell, he'd begun acting even more visually saddened by it.

I eyed him, heart throbbing. I hadn't expected him to get this upset over me leaving. He was normally so charismatic and positive.

We were both sitting on my bed, cross-legged, facing each other. It was around midnight, and my family was asleep. Henry and Lauren had allowed Alfred to help with the packing—probably just for the free assistance rather than giving me the pleasure of his presence. After all, they hadn't let me have friends over for a long time. It was painful mainly because Alfred was my only friend and I wasn't able to see him outside of school.

Tomorrow was moving day. Alfred had to sneak in from my window to get inside, since Henry and Lauren had tried to make him leave at around seven in the evening. But as my only good friend, he wouldn't allow them to cut short our time together.

"_I just wanted a real goodbye."_ He'd said.

And now here we were, exchanging one of our last conversations as San Diego residents. "I might have told you this earlier, but I know where you're moving. My grandparents live near Houston too. As soon as you move in, I can have a friend of mine come help you guys unpack." He was smiling now, eager to help me in any way he could—even if it meant contacting someone far away to do it in his place.

My eyes widened, "Oh—no, you don't have to do that."

He nodded, a cheery grin on his face. "But I want to! And besides, I know he'll be okay with it. He doesn't live that far from my grandparents' house. I'll ask him to bring some of his friends along to help too."

…Why can't more people be as kind as him? "Alfred…" I smiled back, grateful. "Thanks."

He waved it off, "No prob! The guy's really cool. But…" He began to trail off, rubbing the back of his neck. "…he's sort of creepy…"

I chuckled, "How creepy can he be?"

He looked back up, blue eyes widened. "Really creepy! But… totally nice. He's this Chinese kid with weird eyes."

"'Weird eyes'? Alfred, is it because he's Chinese?"

Shocked by my question, he added, "_No_, it's nothing like that! His eyes are just _colored_ weird!"

I grinned, "…Okay then. A creepy Chinese guy with weird-colored eyes will be helping us unpack, cool." I said it jokingly, but was still appreciative.

He laughed, "Yeah, yeah. You'll see. But anyway… summer will be here soon. I can totally visit my grandparents and come see you guys while I'm there. Maybe even stay in good ol'Texas for a week or two. And we can catch up on whatever I've missed~!" He gave me a wink, elbows resting on his knees.

I nodded happily, "Yeah! That would be great_."... I already miss you so much. What will school be like without you? In Texas?_

He gave me a soft, sad little smile. His cerulean blue irises met my eyes, and he quietly told me, "_... you'll always be my best friend. I'll miss you."

I felt my eyes sting with tears. "Alfred…" The beating of my heart felt like a drum. I could barely hold my feelings in.

Mattress creaking, I got onto my knees and moved forward to embrace him. "I'll miss you too." I wrapped my arms around his neck, fluttered my eyelids closed, and let myself rest there for a moment.

Both still sitting upon the bed, I enveloped him in a nice, long, lingering hug.

It made the two of us feel safe, secure; as though nothing could ever break our close bond.

Little did I know, the arising darkness would majorly put our relationship to the test.

His shoulders in which my forearms rested upon felt strong and comforting. The strands of his caramel-blonde hair tickled my cheek. Tightening my arms around his neck, the natural scent of him wafted up to my senses—he smelled of sweet chocolate. Inhaling deeply, I nuzzled my face into the warm crook of his neck, our chests pressed tightly together.

His protective embrace gave me the reassurance I needed. I didn't even mind when I realized that I was practically in his lap. Soon, the muscles in my hips gave out, and slowly caused me to fall over him. The bed creaked as my form did so, but I kept my face buried into his tender skin and soft-as-silk hair.

As he leaned back, his head landed on a pillow, and he rubbed soothing circles down my back. His face pressed to the top of my head, I felt the tickling of his warm breath between the strands of my hair.

I never thought I could feel more bliss or comfort than I did at this very moment. The intimate embrace didn't even feel awkward or embarrassing—it felt like the loving arms of a dear friend and nothing more.

Alfred more than welcomed the hug. He'd let out a deep breath and relaxed as soon as I'd fallen on top of him. _I've never felt so close to her,_ he thought; the contact made him happy.

Neither I nor Alfred knew how much time had passed. Although, tonight would be the last time he held me in his arms.

…For all I knew, at the moment.

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

The next morning was rushed, stressful, and heartbreaking.

Henry and Lauren's harsh commands were sharp, quick. They wanted to leave as soon as possible.

I was demanded to wake up at five in the morning and help load up the moving truck. Lauren tried to wake up Peter to help, but I didn't allow her to. The poor boy needed his sleep. Instead, I told her that I'd work extra hard in his place.

To which she scoffed, _"You? Work hard? I'd like to see you try."_

She'd left the room before I could respond. But, I didn't let it bother me. At least Peter got his rest—and that was all I'd been aiming for.

After about an hour, everything was inside the moving truck, and my screwed-up family was on the road to slumtown.

_Well, maybe not,_ I tried to convince yourself. _Texas might be nice, but I don't know if this particular town will be._

And I was right.

After five agonizing days, Henry finally announced that we were getting close.

"Huh? This is where we're gonna live?" Peter questioned, staring out the car's window as small, nearly fallen apart houses passed by. They were all placed closely together, and most were so run-down that the creme-colored paint jobs were peeling off. There were no plants in sight—in their places were dried-up weeds and thin, bare branches. All the yards were full of either dirt or dead grass. Many of the silver barbed-wire fences were falling down or even broken. Every house looked exactly the same as the last—save for maybe a few with American flags or wilting basketball hoops.

"Yep, this is it," Henry announced. He turned a corner, "Our place is number 1725. Look for it on this street."

As soon as he turned, I caught sight of a certain house with a yard that… _overshadowed_ all the others. "Wow… I feel bad for whoever's house _that_ is." I thought aloud.

Peter looked out my window, and his blue eyes slowly widened, "Whoaaaa. Yeah, me too. I feel bad."

This particular house had a much bigger yard than the rest. Although, the space was used up entirely. _Every last square inch._ The yard alone looked like it belonged on the TV show _Hoarders_ or something.

Henry nodded. "Yeah. I feel bad for us too."

My heart instantly sped up. Chills ran down my spine. With a shaky voice, I slowly asked, "…_What_ did you say?"

Turning around in her seat, Lauren faced me and hissed, "This is all we can afford. It was cheaper to get this house than any others with a normal yard. We have to clean it out ourselves."

I was silent for a moment. We were going to _live_ in this place?

There were heaps of junk everywhere. Literally piles of nothing but broken appliances—dishwashers, laundry driers, _refrigerators_ even, and more. I basically couldn't see the ground with all the trash littered across the lawn. There were even a few filthy, cobweb-covered boats and half taken-apart cars lying around. Countless empty boxes, dirty children's toys, and molding garbage cans were spread over the place. Weeds were growing in every corner. Shattered glass, wadded-up balls of muddied clothes, and empty beer cans were strewn all over the barely-visible walkways. Lastly, sharp pieces of wooden beams and dented flower pots with nothing but dried-up mulch lined up near the almost nonexistent driveway.

I didn't have the time to take it all in. Before I could even utter a sound, Henry and Lauren had exited the car and begun unloading from the U-Haul, shouting for me to 'get your ass out there'.

"D-Do I have to help too?" Peter asked, still buckled into his booster seat; as if it would protect him from the horrible outside world.

"No, you don't." I answered quickly, unraveling my seat belt. As a previous rich kid, I was still in shock. The past few years of my life had been lived in physical luxury—enormous mansion, maid staff, kitchen staff, in-home theater and all.

About half an hour later, I was still struggling to carry boxes through the disastrous yard into the tiny-but-somehow-clean house. It wasn't exactly spotless, but at least it wasn't filthy.

It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a small living room, and no real hallway. Funny, I remembered literally running down hallways at my previous house.

As I was returning to the large rental truck—Lauren inside the house and Henry somewhere inside the vehicle—I happened to notice a group of young men walking down the sidewalk. _Towards my house._ And upon closer inspection, one of them appeared to be pointing at me.

"Um, hello…" I mumbled—almost like a question—as they got within hearing distance.

They walked directly over to me; it was a group of three. They actually looked around the ages of sixteen or seventeen. "_Ni hao_! Are you _?"

My eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, yeah. That's me. Who are you?"

The one who had spoken tilted his head in confusion, "I'm Zao. Aren't you a friend of Alfred's?"

My heart instantly began pounding. _Wait, how does he know Alfred? How does he know me? And why are they—OH WAIT._ "Oh, you're that creepy Chinese guy!" I recalled without thinking it through.

He instantly grimaced, "Excuse me?"

I clamped my hand over my mouth in total mortification. Meanwhile, his two friends nearly lost it in their laughter.

Zao instantly looked down—black military cap shading his eyes—and clenched his teeth. "You'll pay for that later, eru…" He hissed out, hands in fists.

I tried not to blush. "Haha, sorry. It's just Alfred explained you to me as 'that creepy Chinese guy with weird-colored eyes'." I silently hoped Zao was friendly enough with him to laugh off his… 'amazing' description. If he wasn't… well, I hope Alfred won't kill me later for selling him out.

Zao looked back up, and tried to smile. But it came out visibly forced. I noticed his eyes were _indeed_ strange—the color of crimson. "Alright then. So he asked me to help you guys clean up the place. I know it's bad, but three more pairs of hands could still help, y'know? I thought we might as well do this as a welcome-to-the-neighborhood kind of thing. I live right over there," He pointed a few houses down, and then looked back to me. "I brought some friends with me because, uh…" He gestured towards the substantial mess, and I already knew he needn't say more.

"Oh, okay. Thanks…" _Henry and Lauren would be thrilled for the free help,_ I thought.

"These guys live around here too. Say hi to the new girl~" He teased, and moved out of the way so they could introduce themselves.

One of them happily bounced up to me, "'Ello, 'ello poppet! Mr. Oliver is here for assistance~!"

Oh god, this guy though. What the fuck? He was colorful as hell. Strawberry-blonde hair, sky-blue eyes with neon-pink swirls around the irises, huge cerulean bow tie and a cotton-candy pink vest over a white dress shirt. Kind of cute, in his own sort of circus-esque way.

I responded with "Nice to meet you," To which he gleefully nodded and clasped his hands together.

Zao's clothes were quite different in comparison to Oliver's. Instead, he looked more like a druggie rather than a cake-baker or something. He was wearing a red wide-sleeved, black-trimmed shirt with a high collar; it was zipped down to reveal his collar bone and upper chest. Over his head was the black military cap I'd noticed earlier. "Allen, be nice to girls~" He warned the other friend.

As he spoke, I turned to face the third member. Unlike Zao and Oliver, he didn't look exactly happy to be here.

"Hm?" He glanced in my general direction, and that was when I saw it.

_The fucking resemblance._

Of the seven billion other people on Earth, I just _had_ to find someone who looked _just… like... Alfred_.

Although, I had to admit, his… _colors_ weren't exactly the same. But, his face. His hair. His body. They all reminded me of Alfred. This guy's hair fell to the right side of his face, but instead, it was the color of dark chocolate. His eyes weren't blue as the ocean or rounded. They were thinner, his blood-red eyes framed in the darkness of his lashes. Tanned skin and black sunglasses also gave him a difference.

"Oh? Like what you see, dollface?" He teased, a smirk on his soft-appearing lips.

I instantly broke out of my trance, "Y-You just remind me of someone I know."

Zao laughed, "Tell me about it. I don't know why I haven't introduced him to Alfred yet."

Afterwards, I got back to work. Zao had gone to Henry and asked for the okay, to which he responded with _"Of course,"_ as expected. Henry would never turn down free labor.

Oliver was inside the house assisting Lauren with unpacking the kitchen. Peter was playing by himself in his (also my) new room; he'd gotten out his toy ships. Zao was carrying the last of the furniture inside with Henry as I began on Henry's orders for the yard. _"Best to start now,"_ he'd said. At least he wasn't making me do too much today. _After_ I was done picking up the empty beer cans—Lauren had instantly decided to recycle them for money—Henry had said I could start unpacking my (side of the) room.

"This is gross…" I thought aloud as some ancient beer-smelling liquid oozed down my wrists. With a sigh, I threw more cans into the big plastic bag around my elbow. As I turned to shuffle through another part of the maze-like yard, a person suddenly appeared from behind a mountain of dented lawn chairs and spider-filled kiddy pools.

"Havin' fun there?" Allen joked.

I jumped in surprise, "_Hey_—you scared me."

He chuckled. "You must be easy to scare."

With a shrug, I tossed yet another can into the bag. "Not always."

He stared directly at me, almost making me feel uncomfortable. He must've noticed me wrinkling my nose in disgust at the old liquid spilling down my hands. "You're pretty new to this, aren't you?" He winked, "…You don't belong here, dollface."

"I just-"

"-Lemme finish." He smirked, "Like I said, you're pretty new to this. No streetwalker look or any of that 'she ratchet' shit."

"Nope, I'm not a whore."

He chuckled again, and slowly responded, "So… you and your parents. You, especially—don't fit here." He looked away and more seriously added, "I know how that is. Not to fit."

"...Yeah," I said, interested now. "I don't fit because I keep getting thrown to the side." I shot an anger-filled glance towards the house—indicating Henry and Lauren.

Allen's face softened. He no longer gave off that hungry-like-a-wolf bad boy vibe. Instead, his red eyes hinted vulnerability. "Thrown to the side. That's the best way to put it." He turned away from my gaze and fiddled with the sunglasses resting over his head. "Yeah, I know how it feels. It's how I knew."

At this point, I dropped the plastic bag to the ground. "Knew what?" I whispered. But it didn't matter because the rest of the world had fallen away. There was a force field wrapped around he and I; keeping us close and any outsiders away. It was a dark, tense force field that emanated intrigue.

"I know your family betrayed you."

I gasped. Was it really that obvious?

He smiled gently. God, his smile was fucking beautiful. I had a feeling a genuine smile didn't often cross his face. With a gentle, caring hand, he ran his fingers through the strands of my hair until his warm palm cupped my cheek. "Don't ever let them see that you have a soft place."

I instantly understood that he had just divided the group here into "them" and "us," but he had seen into me. Zao and Oliver were inside, happily chatting up my foster parents. "…How can you already know so much about me?"

He moved his hand forward and ruffled my hair. "Let's just say that I know the signs. I've been through it. I noticed how you protect yourself when you talk to your parents. Me, I started collecting…" He paused, leaned in towards my ear, and whispered, "Guns."

Guns?

His voice dropped and he moved even closer towards me. His hot breath tickled my lobe; his lips were nearly pressed to my ears. "Does that scare you, dollface?" I caught a whiff of his delicious cologne. _Was that Drakkar Noir?_

I pulled back and stared at him. I didn't know what my expression was. Heart racing and breath labored, I still thought I knew what I was getting into.

"I could protect you if you want."

Allen knew what he was doing. He was separating me from Henry and Lauren. He was telling me that he had secrets. Dark ones. He knew I'd either be repulsed or afraid—or fascinated. Seeing an offer of shared power. I could accept him or reject him now.

We both locked eyes and make an unspoken promise. I wasn't going to tell about his guns, and he… he was going to be on my side.

It happened that quickly. I was sick and tired of my foster parents: of their lies, of their hate. I had been the good girl and gotten a lap full of betrayal. I wanted to be dangerous, and danger winked at me and said I could.

I accepted.

Clearly I didn't know it yet, but the darkness had begun to consume me. The deadly attraction.

* * *

**D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

"I kind of hate your foster parents." He mumbled to me the very next day.

I sighed, "I kind of hate them too sometimes." _Well, I know I don't love them._

He chuckled, and kicked a random stone. We were both carrying trash pickup tools. The long ones with claws at the end that retracted to grab anything at the push of a button—I'd only seen people on community service use these before, but didn't question why Allen had them. After all, they made it a lot easier to clean up the yard.

He'd decided to work at my house, at least until the yard was all cleaned up. Henry and Lauren were thrilled, of course, because he'd agreed to it for low pay. He said it was already his summer break anyways and it would keep him from being bored.

For the past few days, he'd remained by my side. Each time Henry or Lauren left me a difficult task or rude comment, he had cut in with a polite response, _"Henry, are you sure you want _ to do that job? I don't want her to get chemical burns. Let me do it,"_ or _"Lauren, do you really mean that? She _is_ your daughter, blood-related or not..."_ I never realized how much it hurt whenever Lauren called me mean names until Allen had gotten her to stop. Somehow, both of my foster parents were undeniably charmed by him. Even Peter thought he was 'the coolest and nicest guy ever'.

"I won't ask about your real parents," As we both scavenged the yard for more small pieces of trash to pick up, he used his mechanical claw to grip onto mine and slowly began to swing them together.

Looking down to the ground, I noticed our shadows appeared to be clinging to each other, due to the now-attached trash pickups. "Is this your bad-boy way of holding my hand?" I joked.

He turned his face halfway towards me and smirked, "No, this is." He dropped the long tool, and I followed his example. Immediately he snaked an arm across my waist and pulled me in close to his chest. "…I like being here with you, dollface." He whispered, my head against his shoulder.

A blush crept across my cheeks. He liked being _here_, in the middle of a massive dump, just because _I _was there? Heart pounding, I looked up at him. "Really…?"

"You bet," He winked, and thoughtlessly kissed my forehead.

Lately, every little thing he did made me blush. Several times he'd caught me staring at him, especially when shirtless. He'd grin boyishly and then make a big show of stretching his arms or flexing his muscles. Damn this summer's heat—why did it have to make Allen go shirtless? Honestly, I wanted to drag him into bed with me sometimes.

I could tell he was straight-up coming on to me. _Had been_ doing it since we first met. But I didn't care; it made me feel special and cared for. Also, there was just something about his bad-boy aura that I simply couldn't ignore.

He looked back up, still holding me close to his body. Neither of us were working anymore. Henry and Lauren were inside and had barely helped clean up the yard. Why should Allen and I have to do all the work, anyways? "…I brought one today." He mumbled.

"Huh?"

He pressed his face into my hair and whispered, "A gun."

Oh, that. "…Where is it?"

His eyes slid up towards the house. "Let's go inside first. Through the backdoor."

Hurriedly, we both left the huge mess that was my yard and entered the house. Slyly avoiding my family, Allen and I made it into the room I shared with Peter—who was, thankfully, in the living room with Henry and Lauren. "It's a Glock 40," He announced as he plopped down onto my mattress. There wasn't yet an actual bed because Henry still needed to buy some new furniture. He and Lauren had sold most of the stuff from the mansion and had to purchase something cheaper, but hadn't done it yet.

"Where?" I scanned his body—for other reasons besides the fact that he always looked good.

He grinned mischievously, "Why don't you come over here and find out, dollface~?"

A chill ran down my spine; a burning heat started up in my lower stomach. Suddenly nervous, I shut the bedroom door. Locked it.

His grin turned smug. He was clearly glad I'd accepted.

"But… are you allowed to carry?"

He waved it off, "Yeah, yeah… I have a licensed permit."

I continued to stand awkwardly by the door, "I thought you had to be twenty-one to have a permit."

"I'm twenty-two. Look younger, don't I?"

Oh yes, he did. Yesterday I could've sworn on my life that he was seventeen. But, this made things even more interesting. I was almost sixteen. So what if that cute baby-face of his had misled Henry and Lauren into thinking he was about my age?

"So… care to find my gun?" He leaned back, pressing his palms to the mattress as he awaited my wandering hands.

I swallowed thickly and nodded, "N-No problem." I laid my knees upon the bed, one leg on either of his waist, nearly straddling him. Cautiously, I pressed my hands to his clothed chest. I could feel his heart beating. His amused eyes were locked on me.

Slow as ever, I lowered my hands, giving him strokes down his torso. His whole body felt toned and muscled—the dude _must_ work out.

Finally, I reached the waistband of his jeans. Without hesitating, I slid my hand around the area.

That was where I found it.

Tucked into the waistline was a Glock 40 handgun.

I let my fingers tease the bare skin beneath his pants, just above his boxers—_dark red, were they?_ I felt strangely powerful when he shivered at my touch.

I quickly realized that I was more infatuated with _him_ rather than his gun.

"Hey, dollface…"

I looked up.

Eyes of red met my gaze. The eyes in which only a devil could possess.

"Wanna come over to my house tomorrow?"

* * *

**A.N.:** I should probably warn you right now—don't fall too hard for Allen. :3 Things aren't always going to ride smoothly for you two. Although, who Reader ends up with still varies~

For anyone saddened about moving away from Alfred, don't worry m'dears! The hero always comes back.

…Review for more chapters? c;


	3. A Crimson Kiss

_**Love**_

_Can sometimes be a __**weapon**_

_Of __**mass destruction.**_

* * *

**Chapter Three: A Crimson Kiss**

"Have you noticed how close together these houses are? They're starting to make me feel claustrophobic. I kinda saw in the beginning, but never really paid attention. Y'know, now that I walk around and stuff… um, yeah, it's weird. I guess I'm just used to houses spaced really widely apart... uh, no, I-I don't know…" You shrugged, trying to sound cool. But on the inside, you wanted to punch yourself.

At the moment, you were probably the worst small-talker in the world. You were speaking about _how closely together the houses were placed, _for god's sake. And that was only because you'd taken a glance towards them and suddenly begun running your mouth to fill the silence. Next you'd probably start talking about the _weather_ in a futile attempt to make conversation. _Any_ conversation.

The whole time you were chatting mindlessly, Allen gave you confused looks. Unbeknownst to you, he had a clear _What-the-flying-fuck_ expression on his face throughout most of the walk. "…Okay, seriously—you don't look like the type, but _... are you on drugs?" He finally spoke.

Your jaw dropped in surprise, "Hey… _w_-_what_?"

He started laughing when he realized you were being serious the whole time and _not_ just playing around like he'd halfway hoped. "Haha! You're so awkward, dollface~" He sang between giggles.

You looked down to the sidewalk, embarrassed. "I-I'm not awkward…" _I just don't know what to say to you at the moment. _As you walked along beside him, you kicked a stone across the cement, still trying to fight your blush.

Once he'd composed himself, he lightly kicked the same rock and continued leading the way to his house. "Okay, maybe just sometimes." He sideways-glanced at you, lips turned up in a crooked smile, hands in jean pockets. For some reason you couldn't look directly into those crimson eyes for too long or handle seeing that sexy smirk for any more than a few seconds.

"You're such a tease…" You mumbled, looking back to the street. _But why was he being so quiet earlier? It was making me nervous… he's never usually that silent._

"Sure, sure," He glanced behind him, noticing that your house was still within viewing distance. Well shit—your messed-up lawn was practically visible from space. He scowled at the sight of your foster parents, who were outside for once. "What are Mr. Thief and Ms. Bitch doing out there?"

You chuckled at his nicknames for Henry and Lauren, "They're trying to identify all those cars and boats; they want to contact a business to remove them for us. All of them are ancient and falling apart."

But Allen wasn't listening anymore. He'd made it to his own front yard—and without turning to look at you—wordlessly grabbed your wrist and tugged you over to the door.

"Whoa, what's the rush…?" You wondered aloud as he speed-walked for the entry, threw it open (leaving you to shut it as he half-ran down the halls), and stomped up the stairs, all while keeping an iron grip on your hand. You didn't dare complain that the tightness would probably leave a bruise around your wrist.

"Are we going to your room or-" You began as he dragged you down the upstairs hallway towards a bedroom.

"-You bet we're going to my room." He grumbled as he turned the knob, stepped inside, threw you in, and shoved you against the door with a muffled _**bang**_.

"Allen-" His name had just barely left your lips before his mouth suddenly crashed upon yours. "Mmpf-!" Your back against the now-closed door, he began _kissing_ you.

…_Ohmygod, _you thought, eyes wide open in shock._ M-My first kiss._

The contact felt brief, most likely because it took you a few seconds to realize what was even going on.

Shortly afterwards, he pulled away and grinned. Putting his hands up as if in surrender, he said, "Whoa, I thought you might be surprised, but not _that_ surprised," He chuckled, slightly avoiding eye contact. "Sorry dollface, I kinda forgot you were way younger than me."

You finally snapped out of your trance, "I-I'm not _that_ much younger than you…"

He flicked your forehead and winked, "Not really. I need to remember that even though I'm not a kid, you most certainly still are~"

You couldn't help but grin. Lightly hitting his chest, you leaned into him and looked down. You were almost sixteen anyway; who cares if he's twenty-two? He _looks_ like he's seventeen, and he acts like it sometimes as well. "But still…" You looked back up, and carefully wrapped your arms around his neck.

He smirked again, waiting for you to continue.

Well, you weren't about to let your first kiss go to waste. Besides, you really _were_ undeniably attracted to him.

You gently pressed your forehead to his, savoring the moment. You could feel his warm breath on your lips; a small smile now on his face. His shoulders felt strong beneath your arms, and his soft brown hair tickled your skin. Before you could change your mind, you tightened your hold on him and moved in the last few inches.

Your lips met his once more; this time by your doing. He immediately dominated your mouth just like before, but you accepted it. His lips moved in perfect synchronization with your own and sent chills down your spine. His arms instantly wrapped around your waist and he pulled you even more against his body.

Chests pressed together, you tried to kiss him back. His lips felt so pleasurable against your own that you almost began to feel light-headed. Your heart rammed against your ribcage and a burning heat started up in your lower stomach. _H-He feels so good…_ you thought, eyes closed in pure bliss.

The make-out was cut short as he pulled away, breathless. "As much as it may seem this way… I didn't actually bring you here to screw around." His hands were still resting on your hips, his face lingering around yours.

Instantly blushing, you looked away and replied, "R-Right, I know." You eyed the nearby bed and shivered. You secretly felt a bit glad he'd stopped in that moment. Who knows how far things could have escalated—and if you were even ready for anything besides kissing.

…No, you _knew_ you weren't ready for anything more than kissing.

Allen must have noticed your worry. Eyebrows creasing, he let go of you and backed away slightly, hands in pockets. "You know…" He glanced away from you, leaning against a nearby bookcase, "There's nothing to be afraid of, dollface." He sighed and looked back at you, his eyes drooped slightly.

Your face burned—but not from embarrassment. "I…"

He gave you another concerned expression, "Hey, listen. I want to make this clear: Just because I'm older doesn't mean I expect you to do anything you're not comfortable with, okay? I'm not that guy."

Your heart soared. He really _was_ perfect. "…O-Okay."

"Besides. I brought you because I know there's something here you want,"

…_Wait what?_ You quickly began to feel hot and nervous all over again, "Huh?"

He grinned again, his red eyes sparkling like the flames of a fire. Wordlessly, he pulled you over to his bed and sat you down.

"Um, Allen…"

"Stay there," Without waiting for a response, he walked across his plain white-walled room to his small desk. Grabbing a rectangular object, he shuffled back over to you and tossed a Toshiba laptop into your lap. "And there ya go."

The weight that fell onto your legs felt like a piece of Heaven. "Oh my god! A computer?!" You hadn't had Internet access in over a week! Lauren had sold your phone and every other electronic you owned in the yard sale back in San Diego.

"I thought you might've been wantin' it~" He affectionately patted the top of your head.

"_Yes_, just yes." You powered up the laptop and it immediately displayed the Google search engine.

"Alright, well I'll give you some privacy. I'm gonna-"

You looked up from the screen, "-Wait."

He paused, half-turned. "Yeah?"

You slid the computer off your lap and stood up. Looking him in the eye, you asked, "…Why have you been so nice to me?"

A boyish smile instantly crept across his face. "Er, I thought you understood? It's because… well, I can totally relate to you."

Your eyes widened a bit, "Oh… how exactly?"

He rolled his eyes. "We talked about this already, but I guess you forgot. Look…" His voice softened a bit, and he glanced towards the carpet. "I know how you feel about your parents—I feel the same way about my own. I just want to protect you, and…" He looked back up and stared into your face, crimson eyes searching your own. "I like the feeling of taking care of you. Is that so bad?"

He left you to ponder the question. Giving you a tilt of his head and eyebrow raise, he then proceeded to leave the room.

Once the door closed, you sat back down on his bed and grabbed the laptop.

**Alfred:** OMG DUDE. It feels like it's been forever already! Dx

**[Name]:** I know. The drive here was horrible. Don't even get me started on our lawn. Unpacking was major work. Anyway, miss u.

**Alfred:** I miss u too! :) And just keep your head up high! Things will get better.

**Alfred:** …or maybe they won't cuz I'm not there

**Alfred:** Lol XD

**[Name]:** Haha, thanks.

**Alfred:** Oh! Did Zao help you unpack?

**[Name]:** I was about to tell you about that. He did and he brought some friends, have you met Allen?

**Alfred:** Allen? Nah why?

**[Name]:** He's really cool. I think I kind of like him, hehe… ^_^

**Alfred:** …But dude? I've heard about him, he doesn't sound very nice? 0.o

**[Name]:** What? Where did u hear that?

**Alfred:** From Zao. He's brought up Allen before. Says he's just like me but more of a jerk.

**[Name]:** Well he's not

**Alfred:** Seems like he is~

**[Name]:** You haven't even met him

**Alfred:** Sooooo? :p

You sighed, and began to hear footsteps down the hall. It had taken a while for Alfred to log onto Facebook and see that you were online. You actually didn't know how much time had passed.

**[Name]:** I gotta go. I'm at his house, using his laptop. Talk to you later.

You logged off before he got the chance to respond. As you were setting aside the laptop, Allen walked back in. "I had to do some dishes. Anyway, you done?"

You nodded, "Yeah. Thanks so much."

He gave you a quick two-fingered salute, "No prob." As he spoke, he leaned down and planted a brief kiss onto your lips.

"_Mmm_…~" You allowed the kiss to stretch out—you didn't want him to pull away just yet.

He took your quiet moan of pleasure as a green flag. Pressing his knees to the mattress, he put his arms on your shoulders and pushed you down to lay flat on the bed.

"Did you message any of your boyfriends while I was gone?" He teased quietly as he straddled your hips and began to press sweet kisses down the crook of your neck.

You chuckled lightly, "No way." …_Alfred isn't my boyfriend,_ you thought to yourself.

…_But Allen could be._ You gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him in closer. As you raised your hands up and began to knot your fists into his soft dark locks, you felt him part his lips against your own. Soon after, you felt his moist tongue run across your mouth, begging for entrance.

_This feels so good._ You opened slightly, and felt his warm muscle slither between your lips and press against the tip of your tongue_. A bad boy kiss,_ you thought dreamily.

Right as he began to kiss you more aggressively, you heard a sudden knocking sound from downstairs.

Bolting up in surprise, Allen glanced down at you and whispered, "You're Alexa's friend."

Still a bit dazed from the mind blowing make-out, you replied, "I'm what?"

But he'd already begun walking out the door. "Come on," He hissed from the doorframe, beckoning for you to join him out in the hall.

As he spoke, you heard the entry shutting closed and the sound of footsteps downstairs. They seemed to have walked into the kitchen. "Okay…"

You followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen, where you saw someone that looked _extremely like _an older version of Allen. "Hey dad, how was work?" Allen leaned against the wall, arms crossed whilst facing his father.

…_Could this get any weirder?_ You thought, trying to ignore the fact that Allen's dad looked just like _Alfred's_ dad. _But in a less-professional way_, you couldn't help but add.

"This is _, a friend of Alexa's. She got lost on her way to her house and stopped by here to ask for directions," His red eyes slid to you as if in confirmation.

"Oh…" You quickly realized you were supposed to say something, "Yeah. Sorry."

Allen turned back to his dad, "But Alexa just said she's not home. Is it okay if _ stays for din-" Before he got to finish his sentence, Allen's father took one look at you and groaned.

"-_Allen_, I need to speak with you," He gave you another glance, "_Alone_. Is that okay?"

Confused, you nodded back, "Sure… take your time."

Without waiting for Allen to say anything, his father grabbed his shoulder and pulled him out the nearby back door. You noticed he hadn't shut it all the way.

You were beyond curious by now. Alexa? Who was that? And why couldn't Allen tell his dad how he really knew you?

You had to know what exactly Allen's dad pulled him out for. He must have seen through the lie. And what could he possibly have to say about it?

Before you could change your mind, you stepped towards the open slide door and pressed your back against the wall, so the two males couldn't see you were there.

"Allen, how old is that girl?"

A pause. He must have shrugged. "What's it to you?"

Another groan followed, "_Son_, if she's sixteen, I am not going to allow her presence in this house. You know what happened last time. I won't let the past repeat itself, Allen. You need to stay away from her, _you hear me_?"

Silence.

"Allen, you have to listen to me. I'm not telling you to respect me, because I know you don't. But I need you to be responsible. _Do not_ talk to her again—I know you're lying about her being a friend of Alexa's."

Finally, you heard Allen's voice again. "…How did you know?"

A scoff. "_Please_, Alexa would never be friends with a girl like her."

At that, you backed away from the door. It was just on time, too.

Allen came back inside, a strangely normal expression on his face. For some reason you expected him to look a bit agitated. Taking one glance to you, he asked, "So… I'm guessing you heard everything?"

His father was still outside. "Yup. Let's go."

He grinned, sliding his black sunglasses down his eyes and reaching for a pair of car keys with his other hand. "Cool. I'm starving anyway. Wanna go eat somewhere?"

You already began to walk with him out the front door, "Sure. Where to?"

He led you over to a truck as he responded, "Dunno. Any place that doesn't serve meat, got it?"

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

The next day, you couldn't hold in the questions anymore. Allen had arrived at your house, and was greeting your foster parents as you pushed a heavy box around your room.

"Thanks for the pay you guys, seriously. I'd do this work for free, but y'know…" Allen shrugged as he entered your room, and you could hear the faint response of Henry's that sounded like, _"No problem, son."_

Allen glanced down at the cardboard box and then towards you, "Havin' troubles?"

You stood up straight and stared at him, the same questions running through your mind as your eyes roamed over his handsome features. "Yeah. But… can I ask you something?" There was something you'd wanted to ask him since yesterday, but never quite took the opportunity for over lunch (which had been at some weird tofu place).

He tilted his head a bit, "Sure, what's up?"

You looked down and lightly kicked the huge box by your side, "Um… so about yesterday. What did your dad mean when he said 'I won't let the past repeat itself'?"

Cautiously, you glanced back up. You didn't know what his reaction would be.

Once the phrase clicked in his mind, he let out a sigh. "Oh… that."

You nodded, "Yeah—that."

He shrugged, hands in his pockets, eyeing the bare walls of your barely-unpacked room. "It's because of your age. I went on a few dates with a girl younger than me and he completely freaked out. I don't see what the problem is—a lot of couples have age differences. Ours isn't even that bad." He shrugged again, a look of irritation crossing his face at the mention of his father.

"Oh…" Well, it could be worse, right? "And my other question. You said you felt the same way I did about my paren-"

He quickly held a finger up, "-_That_," He paused, ensuring your silence, "…is a story for another day." He finished, grinning cheekily.

…_A story for another day?_ Well, you hadn't even met his mother. What could his parents be like? Had they ever hurt him…? You sure hoped not.

"Well, okay." In that moment, you realized how much you really didn't know about him yet. _He's… mysterious. I can't wait to get to know him more._

"So. I'm guessing that big box is your bed?"

You glanced down, "Oh. Yeah. Henry just got it for me—I like it a lot. From the picture, it's really nice considering our circumstances." …_More like extreme money problems,_ you were thinking.

He chuckled, "Cool. Want me to put it together for you?"

"_Yes_." Henry had been nice enough to get you a good bed, but he had told you to try taking it out of its box on your own first. You didn't even know for sure if he'd help with the rest, since he was 'so busy' all the time doing other things.

"Alright, I just need you to get me the-"

"-Hi hi, can I help?!" You cringed as Peter slammed the bedroom door open, skipping up to you and Allen. "I want to help with something! I've been doing nothing all day every day and it's been boring!" He whined, tired of playing by himself for days. You could tell he was eager to help with anything he could get.

You looked to Allen, your eyes charmed by your adorable little brother.

Apparently, Allen was charmed by him as well. He smiled, leaned down to Peter's height, and said, "Sure buddy. Go get me the scissors from the downstairs closet. Oh, and remember to hold them upside down, with your fists over the blades so they don't move." Peter nodded happily and spun around. "And don't run!" Allen called after him once he disappeared down the hall.

As he awaited the scissors, you looked up at him and grinned. "You really like Peter, don't you?" This wasn't the first time he'd spoken to Peter. He'd always been friendly and kind towards the six-year-old.

"Yeah, the kid's pretty damn cute."

You grinned even bigger. Allen seemed to be good with children. How _wasn't_ that adorable? "Oh, by the way. Henry just ordered Peter's bed yesterday so you might have to put together that one too."

He waved it off, "Sure sure, no problem. Anyway, where do you want yours?"

After Allen had placed the rectangular box in the corner you wanted and stood it up, Peter came back with the scissors. "Got them! What's next Allen?"

He took the scissors, "Hmm. Let's check the instructions." He cut open the box and pulled out a small manual wrapped in plastic. "Alright _, your call." He tossed you the booklet and stuck his tongue out at you.

"Huh, me?" You'd never put together a piece of furniture before. The rectangular box alone was about your height.

"Yes, you. I'm gonna teach you how to do work." He teased, arms crossed.

Peter giggled, "I don't know if Big Sister's ever done work in her life~!"

You shot him a glare, "Hey, I so have. _You're_ the one that's spoiled."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"_Nuh-uh."_

"Uh-huh!"

"Children, please no fighting." Allen chuckled, facepalming.

"Well tell _ that I _have_ worked before!" Peter said, pointing an accusing finger at you.

Giggling, you responded, "When, Peter? You're six."

"_Anyway…"_ Allen mumbled, "_,look at the instructions. See what kind of tools you'll need, the pieces, the bolts, the screws, everything. It should all be right there."

You opened the plastic packaging, "Okay…"

"Make sure you have all the things before you get started. We don't wanna need a certain screwdriver only to see we don't have one halfway through the job. Oh, and you should count to make sure we've got the right number of pieces too."

You paused skimming the manual to look up at him, "Huh? You're not gonna help me?"

"Not yet," He grinned, "You should learn these things."

_You should learn these things._ That actually rang a bell. Rolling your eyes, you said, "Heh, you're starting to remind me of Henry and Lauren."

A crashing sound echoed off the walls before you could take another breath. Allen had kicked down the huge box, causing it fall open-side down and scattering out many small bed parts to the center of the carpet. His teeth were clenched. The booklet ripped from your hand and sailed across the room. He stormed out of the place without a word, hands in fists.

"Yo Henry, I'm done for the day." He called out as he left through the backdoor.

You gaped long after his exit. Stunned at the quickness and the… fury.

"…Wow," Peter murmured after a few seconds, "I don't think anybody should ever make him mad."

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

The heat was nearly unbearable. Being from California, you thought you'd had your fair share of sun—but in this state, it was something else.

You were walking home from your new school. Well, it wasn't your new school _yet_. Apparently this district ended class about two weeks before your old one did. So, the students here were already out for break, and Lauren had made you go enroll yourself.

The lady at the counter seemed nice enough. She said summer school was currently going on if you wanted to join, but once she saw the name of your private school on the file Lauren had given you, she quickly decided you weren't in need of any summer school. "Oh, good then. Class starts up again on August 21st," She'd smiled, and handed you back your transcript. "Welcome to school in the Lone Star state!" She'd said as you began to leave the office.

And thus you'd started your semi-short walk home. The blazing heat only made it feel longer.

Once you finally got home, you slammed your way inside, where you found Allen playing on the floor with Peter in the room you shared.

As you'd thrown the bedroom door open, you had gasped lightly—wondering if Allen was still angry with you.

Apparently, he wasn't. "Shhh. You'll wake the citizens of Sealand. They've been traveling all day and I just sailed them in from America." He whispered.

"His steering was so bad that they all got seasick and puked," Peter reported.

Toy ships, Lego people, and model airplanes scattered around him, Allen hung his head and looked at you through his dark eyelashes. "I'm sorry. I've been punished for my bad behavior."

"I detentioned him 'cause of yesterday." Peter announced.

"You did…" A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you eyed Allen sitting cross-legged around a mess of children's toys.

"Yeah. But we've established that this is a country called Sealand and that I'm the vice-president, so I guess things aren't that bad," He looked towards his 'president', Peter—who nodded gleefully. A few Lego towers were in his hands, which he was using to build his city.

"Gotcha." You grinned. He must have been babysitting while Henry and Lauren were out getting some more furniture.

Allen tilted his head toward the hall as he stood. "We'll be right back, Mr. Peter." He saluted as he backed up for the door, grabbing your wrist on the way out.

Once the door was shut, he turned to you and sighed. "Hey, dollface… listen. I blew up. I'm sorry; I didn't like being compared to your parents. I don't like to think I treat you the way they do."

"You don't. It was stupid, I…-" You didn't get to finish.

He'd backed you up to the wall, wrapping his arms around your waist. His lips were on yours before you could continue.

Soft, sweet, apologizing. He wanted to make sure you still cared for him and trusted him.

You'd thought he was perfect. Was he? No one could be _perfect_, right? Everyone has issues. Maybe he has a temper, but he's only human, isn't he?

You kissed him back, resting your arms over his shoulders, and you felt him pry your lips open with his tongue. Suppressing a shiver, you couldn't help but moan lightly into his mouth. In reward for the sweet sound, he teased the inside of your lower lip with his tongue. You shivered violently at the sheer bliss and heavenly feeling.

You had no idea what you were getting yourself into. With each step, you were throwing yourself more and more into the darkness.

* * *

**A.N.:** Hey heeey, slow down there Reader-chan. xD

I may have forgotten to mention that this story was inspired by a number of police cases. Yeah… that's all I'm gonna give away for now.~ (_No_, there's not gonna be any violence in this fic, and _yes_, Allen genuinely does like Reader.)

…Won't you review, dollface?


	4. Desire's Consequence

_If you find yourself in a __**dark room**__,_

_Walls around you are __**red**_

_And __**blood**__ seeps from everywhere,_

_Do not be __**afraid**__._

_You are inside my __**heart**__._

* * *

**Chapter Four: Desire's Consequence**

It all started with a bottle of whiskey.

"Pass me the Jack Daniels, will you, _?" Henry had asked you as he set up the Internet connection.

You were at the kitchen table eating breakfast as he hooked up wires and plugs to a nearby outlet. The bottle of whiskey was at the table's edge, away from his grip.

Frankly, you didn't want to give it to him. Didn't he see what kind of shit it got him into? _The gambling, the stealing, the loss of his own house? _Alcohol consumption was only one of his problems, but it was one that he could at least _try_ to quit. It was the morning; did he really need it right now? _No_.

"_? Did you hear me?" He was still busy with the Wi-Fi box.

"…No," You grumbled, staring into your cereal bowl.

He turned, eyebrows furrowed with irritation. Ignoring your smart-ass response, he walked around the table to retrieve the bottle himself. Once he took a long swig, he turned to glare at you: "I'm getting sick and tired of your attitude, _." He warned.

You kept your head down, busying yourself with spoonfuls of cereal. _Ignore him,_ you thought. Your mind wandered over to who was in the closest room instead.

Henry slammed his bottle down, "These past few months, you've been acting like a spoiled _little brat_, you know that don't you? And I'm not going to tolerate this behavior anymore, _." He spat, words like acid.

Your hand clenched around the spoon. These past few months, _you_ were being horrible? Didn't he have any idea what he had done to you or _said_ to you 'these past few months'? _He_ was the one who deserved to be reprimanded—same with Lauren. They were beginning to feel like parental failures; not that you knew what it was like to have great parents. Either way, _how could he say __**your**__ attitude was unacceptable_?

You stood, teeth clenched. "_Me_? Aren't you the one who lost your job, our house, and all our money?" Your voice rose, furious. "Don't you see that you're an alcoholic with loads of debt and responsibility and all you do is _blame others_?!"

Within an instant, you remembered back to the last time you said something similar—and what Henry almost did in response to your disrespect.

This time was no different. His face turned red with fury, and after a few seconds of tense silence, he slowly walked up to you and raised his hand.

It looked the same as the last time it happened. But, that time, he stopped himself—would he stop himself again? Or was he really going to hit you…?

You didn't have the time to think. Your eyes squeezed shut, hands curled into fists at your side. Your heart was pounding, legs nearly shaking with both resentment and fear.

A few seconds passed. You caught the sound of footsteps—but they weren't Henry's. You could tell that they weren't Lauren's or Peter's, either.

A bitter slapping sound echoed across the kitchen.

…But it didn't come from his hand on you.

You fluttered your eyelids open. Upon witnessing the scene, you felt your heart soar. _Allen always said he'd protect you._

He stood in front of you; no one was there except for Henry just a few moments ago. His tanned palm was wrapped around Henry's pale wrist. _So that was the sound—it was the impact of Allen grabbing ahold of Henry before he could hit me_, you realized.

"Whoa there, Henry. I know you've been under a lot of stress lately, but you don't want to be abusing your daughter." No disrespect was in his voice. He sounded as if he was simply informing a buddy of something he shouldn't do.

That seemed to do the trick. Henry calmed down, not at all angry with Allen for stopping him. He sighed, avoiding eye contact from both you and Allen. Without another word, he tossed the bottle of Jack into the kitchen sink. He then proceeded to leave the room.

Once he was gone, you looked up at the brunette in front of you. "Allen, I…"

He smirked. Red eyes glowing with affection, he quickly stepped forward and nearly slammed you into his chest. "A-Allen!" Your face burned. He laughed and tightly wrapped his arms around your waist in a bone-crushing hug.

"_, _... you're so cute…." He was squeezing you so tight that you could barely breathe. "That was so cute_, you're_ so cute. You needed my help and I saved you. Wow, that's so weird! I never got this feeling before-!" You coughed a bit. By now, he was going to cut off your intake of oxygen. "You looked so adorable and helpless… Until you saw _me_…" He nuzzled his face into your hair.

_Can't… breathe…_ you thought pitifully. You were in the arms of your boyfriend and yet, all you could think about was how constricting his hug was. _He's like an anaconda… H-He suffocates his prey_… you thought in the back of your mind.

"I got to save you from that prick, which was awesome, 'cause you're my woman and all, but I never knew what it was like to save someone." He sounded like he was still grinning.

"A-Allen… l-let go…"

He finally came to his senses. "Oh, right," He loosened his grip, and looked directly at you. "…I'm glad you were the first person I got to save." His genuine smile was heartwarming.

As much as you wanted to enjoy the moment, you couldn't help but be reminded of someone else.

…_I'm your hero,_ he said.

_I'll save you,_ he said.

_I'll take care of you,_ he said.

How many times was Allen going to make you think of Alfred?

"But you know…" Allen was no longer joyous. Within a few seconds he'd gone from happy to furious. Brown hair shading his eyes and voice in a stone-cold monotone, he stated, "I'm gonna kick Henry's ass someday."

You tried to smile, "Maybe. But… thanks for that, Allen." You were still thinking of how he kept Henry from laying a hand on you.

Before he could respond, the front door slammed open. "Who's here…?" You wondered briefly.

The sound of Lauren's triumphant laughter immediately caught your ears. "I've got it~!" She sang.

Hearing her oddly cheerful voice, you exchanged a _look_ with Allen. He seemed just as confused. You both exited the kitchen and stepped into the living room. "Um, Lauren…?" As you entered, you almost felt a bit cautious—_Lauren_, happy? What could it be?

Allen eyed her carefully. "…What's up?" He asked her. Even _he_ knew her behavior was a tad strange.

Peter instantly appeared from behind her, "She bought a phone! Oh, but she said it's only for emergencies. And guess what?" He pouted, "It's like, not even an iPhone!" Being a child from this generation, he was used to smartphones and touch screens.

She looked straight at you, all-business. "It's only for calling. No texting, Internet-using, or app-playing."

Allen thumb-pointed towards the kitchen, "Er, I think Henry just installed the Wi-Fi…"

She shook her head, "It'll still cost money for this old phone."

"So, basically only you can use it?" You blurted without thinking.

She wasn't fazed. She'd probably already decided that this phone was hers. After all, she was addicted to her smartphone before she had to sell it and even now when this one was supposed to be for everyone, she couldn't handle letting someone else hold it. "Yes. But, _..." She didn't seem happy to inform you, "I'll allow you one phone call. _One_. And that'll be it for today. Afterwards, this phone is getting put away." She left it on the coffee table and turned to Peter, "…Come on. We still have more errands to run."

The time it took them to leave again felt like a blur. Was Lauren being… nice? Or was she being rude? The strange thing was, you couldn't exactly tell. Did it really pain her to do something remotely thoughtful?

Once the front door closed, you snapped out of your daze and lunged for the phone. After all, _there was a working phone in your house!_ Excited, you snatched it up. "_Damn_, this thing's ancient. A year 2000 Nokia! But oh well, I absolutely _need_ to call—" You paused, fingers still hovering over the dial buttons.

"-You need to call _who_ so badly?" Allen was standing a few feet away, arms crossed.

You turned. "…My friends. Who else?"

He smirked, "Yeah… of course. I'll uh, give you some privacy." He started for the backdoor, only to pause in the doorframe. "But it's… not a _guy_, is it , _...?" You couldn't see his face. From his voice, he didn't sound too happy.

You'd already hit 'call'. The person on the other line answered, _"You're speakin' with the hero, may I ask who's callin'~?" _

Your voice rose. "UH, _HEY_…"

Somehow knowing Allen would drop the question once you began speaking on the phone, you sat down on the couch. The backdoor closed shortly afterwards. Yup, you called it. You knew he was trying to make you feel comfortable, like the time he lent you his laptop so you could catch up with friends, but that he also wasn't fond of you speaking to other boys.

Too bad your only friend was a boy. And that it was none other than someone who looked just like him.

"_Heyyy~. So who's this? You're soundin' a little hollow there, my friend."_ Alfred's carefree voice sounded hollow as well—being on the line with a Nokia, of course.

"Oh, yeah I know. It's me, _."

A pause.

…And then another one. Did he not hear you correctly? Was the phone connection already breaking up or—

"…_O-M-G DUDE! I MISS YOU SO SO SO SO SO MUCH-!"_

You actually had to move the phone about two feet away from your ear to keep from damaging your sense of hearing. "Oh, yeah… me too!"

You could detect a grin through his voice_. "So what happened?! Is this your new number? I didn't know you'd be getting a new phone, but sweet! How's everything going? Are Henry and Lauren still bein' asswipes? Oh, and Peter! How's my little man?! _, you needa tell me everything~!"_

You couldn't help but smile. He was so kind as always. "No, this phone is only for emergencies. And yeah… they're still being asswipes. Peter's doing fine, he really likes Alle—" You paused. Your last conversation with Alfred went a little sour after you brought up Allen, and you weren't in the mood for any type of disagreement at the moment. You wanted your first phone call with Alfred since your move to be normal and fun, just like your prior relationship with him always was.

"_That's cool, that's cool~. But awwh, I was hoping you'd get a phone. Urgh, anyway. Tell Henry and Lauren that I told them to quit being asswipes."_ He joked.

…_He didn't even notice when I almost said 'Allen',_ you realized. Good thing your best friend wasn't good at catching on to subtle things. "Heh, I will." You giggled at the thought.

A creaking sound was heard, which must have been Alfred plopping down onto a couch or bed._ "Man, summer's been so boring without you. My bro Mattie's supposed to come visit me sometime though, so that's good I guess. How about you? Finished unpacking? Oh, and have you talked to Zao?"_

He always asked way too many questions at the same time. "Wait… who?"

"_My friend Zao. You said he helped you unpack? I called him up before you moved; he said he'd bring some buddies—"_

You waved your hand, even though you knew he couldn't see. "-Yeah yeah, I know him. But who was that other guy you were talking about…?"

A short pause. Then followed_, "…Mattie?"_

"Yeah,"

"_Oh. My brother, Matthew…"_

"Who?"

A sigh. _"My BROTHER, you've met him a few times…"_

You didn't recall. "Oh. Anyway, how was the last day of school?"

He didn't skip a beat_. "BORING! How come everyone at that private school calls me 'obnoxious'? All I did was jump up on the desks a few times, 'cause like dude, it's the last day of school, and when I tried to start a party, no one joined me, and they all said to get off their desks and turn the lights back on, and it was so lame, and like I know you totally would've joined me right? And we would've danced our asses off, and no one could've stopped us, and the last day would've completely ROCKED yo, and I finally could've given that Russian dude an ass-kicking, and shook a can of Coke-a-Cola and given it to Artie-brows, and throw confetti everywhere, and run down the halls with my American flag, and…"_

The more you listened, the more you could've imagined the last day of school if you were there with Alfred.

But, you _weren't_ there; instead you were cleaning up a messy lawn with Allen. Was that so glamorous? Of course not, but _Allen_…

"_Oh, dude. Remember last year? We almost got in sO MUCH TROUBLE! But it was all worth it, yeah? Th-Those pranks, man!"_ He instantly fell into a fit of hysteria. But he didn't laugh harder at the memories than you did.

"Y-Yeah, I remember…" You managed to say through giggles.

"_Heh heh… good times, _. Hey, I-…I'm…"_ He paused, voice lowering. _"…I'm really gonna miss you here, dude…"_

You sighed, finally getting off the laughing high. "Oh… yeah. Me too." You hoped he would make new friends in the next school year, but somehow… at the same time you didn't want him to. You knew it was selfish, but you wanted to stay his best friend. His one and only best friend.

"_Hey… when you start school, can you not uh, you know…-"_ He paused again, suddenly shy. You could almost hear his blush through the phone_. "…D-Don't make a new best friend, you got that? Y-You have the hero, and you don't need anyone else, y- ya hear me?!"_

A smile crept across your face. It was nice to know you guys thought exactly the same way. "Yeah, okay."

You heard a triumphant-sounding sigh through the line. _"Good. 'C-Cause, I'm the only one for you. We were always like a package deal, you know…? It'd feel weird if there was someone else out there who cared about you more than me. Hey, NO ONE cares about you more than me! And you're still the Wonder Woman to my Superman, right~?"_

He sounded shaky, a bit nervous, but still _him_ nonetheless. The last comment happened to trigger a certain flashback that brought small tears to the corners of your eyes. But we'll get into that later. "Right… of course." You shifted a bit on the couch, uncomfortable. At the time, you didn't notice Allen peek in from the window at you.

"_Awesome, I knew you'd say that. Hey… have you heard of the 'Red String of Fate'? It's this thing Zao told me about when he was high off opium, but it sounded really interesting, and it totally reminded me of you and—"_

Your eyes widened. You nearly dropped the phone when you heard 'Red String of Fate'. Back when you were learning about East Asian culture in World History, you found out about the Red String, which was basically equivalent to a _soul mate_ among the West. Didn't Alfred understand that? And he'd just said—

"_-I think we're connected, dude! Is that so weird to say? I mean come on, I don't know if we've really got invisible red strings tied to each others' pinkies that can 'withstand' everything, but that seems to describe us, don'tcha think?"_

…If you guys lived in China instead of America, that probably would've been like saying _he loved you._ But, this was Alfred—he probably didn't get half of what he was saying. _You hoped_. Of course, you didn't want to believe that he _actually did_ get it, for fear of realizing what could have been…

"_I dunno, just a thought. Ever since you moved, I've really been thinking about you a lot, _..."_ He sighed again, and you heard a muffling sound. He was probably hugging a pillow. _"A. Lot. Why do you have to be so cool and amazing? It's not fair."_

Your hand shook around the phone. For how much longer would he keep going?

"__... look, you mean the world to me. I just wanted you to know that. I'm not trying to go all creeper on you or whatevs, but yeah. You're not even worth being my sidekick—you deserve to be a heroine. I just, I really like…-"_

Your breath hitched.

"—_that. I really, REALLY like that! Yeah, you're a heroine and I'm the hero! We sound so freakin' awesome together! OH, dude, that reminds me. Didya hear about the new Super Smash Bros? It's coming out really soon! And, and, THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW PRINCESS FOR MARIO! When I get that game, I'll bring it to your house, and I can be Mario and you can be that kickass new princess Rosalina. Well, unless you wanted to be Peach, but still. Whaddaya say?!"_

You let out the breath. That was a close call. You could've _sworn_ he was about to say he liked… well, you, but that would only be wishful thinking. Right…? Although you had to admit, he never told you such things before. Sure, he said he missed you, but not like _that_… "Sounds fun." You knew you liked him before, but that was just a harmless crush. Your feelings kept trying to say,_ Maybe he really was about to say he liked you… After all, you might never know_… "I'd want you to come over sometime."

You happened to glance out the window. You almost thought you saw the shadow of Allen duck down. What the…? _"For sure. Definitely someday this summer. And I can see Zao too; I miss that weirdo!"_

Thinking about Zao reminded you of Allen again. What would he do if he found out you harbored some small, simple feelings for your male best friend? "By the way… I was wondering, how do you know Zao?"

Some more time passed. You chatted with Alfred about many different things, including how he knew that creepy Chinese guy, along with several other topics such as video games, TV shows, comic books, new movies, and more things that kept your relationship with Alfred as friendly as ever.

Before you knew it, a whole _two hours_ had passed.

You wouldn't have known it was that much later if Lauren hadn't walked inside, arms full of grocery bags, Peter in tow. "_? You're still on the phone?! Get off that shit already—we've been working all day and you've just been lounging!"

She also told you to go help Allen clean up the yard some more. Peter offered to come along, but Lauren said he had to go with Henry to enroll in his new elementary school. "Alright, I need to hang up now…"

"_Oh, okay…"_

"I miss you, Alfred." You just had to tell him one last time.

"_I miss you too."_

Somehow, he sounded a little… _sad_. That wasn't like him. "You'll always be my best friend."

"…_I know."_

But… why did he still sound sad?

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

After Lauren made you and Allen clean up the backyard a bit more (this time you had to remove all the dump-able stuff, like the ancient kiddy pools and half-destroyed furniture), it was time for your break again. It had already been several hours since you got off the phone with Alfred.

"Hey, looks like the yard's coming together." Allen mused as you both stepped back inside.

You took another glance around, "Yeah. It doesn't look like it belongs on the show _Hoarders_ anymore."

At the moment, Lauren was in the front yard, going through the several jewelry boxes she'd found in an old chest. She was looking for anything valuable to sell for money. Peter was with her; he called their exploration a 'treasure hunt' and was looking for 'goods for the citizens of Sealand'. Henry was in his room, using the new Internet connection and a borrowed laptop to search for jobs.

Allen plopped down on the couch. "Hey… how did Henry lose his job again?"

You sat down next to him and sighed, "He stole money from customers in his corporate job, used it for gambling, they found out, and he got fired."

Allen stared at you for a few seconds. "…You know he's not going to be able to find a new job, right? I'm surprised he's not in jail."

You nodded, "Yeah. I think Lauren should look for work, not him."

He leaned back, propping his feet onto the coffee table. "True," He crossed his arms and laid his head on a pillow, relaxing. After all, he had been the one to lift most of the heavy furniture into his truck to drive to the dumping grounds.

"So, what about _your_ dad? Does he work?" You actually knew next to nothing about Allen's family.

He avoided your gaze, "No. But my mom does; she runs a coffee shop in New York."

Interested, you leaned close to him. "Really? Why don't you live with her?" You guessed that he _must_ have at some point, because he had a hint of a New York accent.

He continued to avoid eye contact, "I used to. We lived in New York City till a few months ago. I uh, got in some trouble over there, a bit of jail time. No big deal, really. The court just freaked out for no reason. It was just so…" You noticed his teeth clenched, red eyes hardened with rage, "It was so _fucking stupid_." He let out a breath to calm himself.

"But…" You faced him, couldn't keep your eyes off him, "Why did you get in trouble?"

He glanced at you, clearly still exasperated. "Does it matter? It's not like I'm the same person. And it wasn't even a big deal to begin with."

A bit of hurt crossed your eyes when you realized he wouldn't tell you. "Oh…"

He looked away again. "So my mom shipped me off to live with my dad. You know he's a drug addict, right? He never gives a shit about me—that one day when you came over was rare, because he hardly ever comes home. And when he does, it's to get more drugs. That asshole never listens to me." His eyebrows were furrowed, hands clenched into fists; he was trying to hide them through his crossed arms.

"Do you miss your mom?"

He scoffed, "Miss her? She's probably glad I'm gone. She rid herself of me and that's all she cares about."

You didn't know what to say. This whole time, when he said he knew how you felt about your parents, you weren't sure just _how much_. But now that you understood his situation, you could verify that he really did know the feeling and then some. _Abandonment_. His parents were worse than your foster ones; his parents were almost as bad as your real ones.

The poor boy. You felt horrible for him. You knew he had issues, but this was much worse than you'd expected.

The two of you were a perfect match. Both neglected by your guardians. "Allen…" You spoke his name softly. After a few seconds, he looked up; you saw his eyes for the first time since he began to tell you his past. "I'll never abandon you." As you spoke, you didn't let your eyes leave his crimson ones. You really wanted to let him know just how much you cared for him.

Slowly, a small smile took over his face. Noticing how close together you two were, the smile turned into a smirk, and he leaned in—thus closing the gap between your lips and his.

His closed mouth was warm and tender against your own. When he moved back, he maintained the close proximity and whispered, "Yeah, you better not."

Grinning, you leaned in and gave him another kiss. _So soft…_ you thought in the back of your mind as you—momentarily—dominated his mouth.

Ignoring the fact that Henry was in the next room, you gave Allen another kiss; and then another, and another. He rarely let you kiss him as you pleased; he often was the one to have full control over the make-out.

You were leaning into him more and more, your hands and knees sinking into the couch. You wanted to feel his body.

As if sensing your thoughts, Allen moaned and gripped your waist. He pulled you into his lap without breaking the kiss.

Immediately you wrapped your arms around his neck, running your fingers through his locks of silky brown hair.

A burning heat was starting up in your lower stomach. From the waist down, you felt like you were on fire. The passion from his kisses mixed with the pure chemistry between you and Allen was almost too much to bear. You wanted to touch him and feel him for the rest of eternity. His soft lips upon yours, his strong arms around your waist, your legs straddling his hips—

A door opened.

"…_!" You felt Henry's presence first, but his voice startled you anyway. You jumped in surprise, but Allen kept you in his lap.

"_, get off that boy this minute."

"Henry… we're not doing anything wrong. _is old enough to make her own decisions. It was just a kiss," Allen said, still holding you.

"Get up, _. Now." Allen released you and you both stood.

"Henry—" you began.

"Shut up and go to your room."

You grabbed Allen's hand and held on. "Get over yourself, Henry. It's not like I haven't kissed anyone before." Well, you had. You'd kissed Allen before.

"You're fifteen years old!" He roared.

"Sixteen soon enough. Henry, this is not a big deal. Why are you so—"

"-Go to your room." He lowered his voice, but his anger was still boiling over the top.

"Dollface, go ahead. Your dad and I need to talk." Allen squeezed your hand and let it go. His voice was lazy and smooth. Nearly emotionless. But his eyes were hooded; irises burning like fire.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after you went into your room, Henry stalked inside. His fury was tamped down—somewhat. "_, whatever is going on with Allen is over. You are too young for a relationship like that." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Allen admitted he's too old for you. Too experienced. I'm sorry I tried to grab you, but this…" He flipped his palms up and looked around the pathetic room, "This whole situation… it's turned me into someone I don't even recognize. Everything fell apart. I don't even know how it all started."

He didn't know how it started? How could he _have the audacity_ to ask that?

"Anyway, Allen will still work here until the house and yard are done. But he's agreed there will be no physical contact between you. None. I want you to agree to it, too."

You couldn't bring yourself to say anything.

His dad wouldn't let you see him. _Your_ dad wouldn't let you see him. What were you going to do? You knew you wouldn't stop seeing him.

* * *

**D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

When Allen arrived the next day, he went to work on the backyard while you worked on the front. You didn't talk to him and he didn't talk to you, but you didn't believe Henry's story. Allen was full of double-talk. He'd tell Henry what he wanted to hear and secretly have another plan of his own.

When he left at six, Lauren was out looking for a job in the town while Henry was driving out to get some more furniture from a cheap warehouse place. That left you alone with Peter.

As you walked into the room you shared with him, you instantly got a sharp pain on the bottom of your foot. _"Ouch,"_ You'd stepped on another one of his Legos. "_Peter_, I told you to put away your Legos—"

You paused when you saw him sitting atop his bed, deeply concentrated on building a large Lego ship. The kind with small parts relating to the object being built, with mini pieces and sailor men to go with it. Last time you checked, Peter only had normal, large-sized Legos. Not the kind that came from a model box.

"Peter… where'd you get that?"

He looked up, and put a finger to his lips. "_Shhh_. Allen said Mom and Dad can't buy us presents right now, so they'll be sad if they see he got us stuff."

You were baffled. "A-Allen got you that…?"

He nodded, and got back to work. "Don't worry. He got you something too." He didn't even look up from the ship model.

"He did…" You plopped down on your bed, wondering. But as you lay back, you felt something stiff beneath your pillow.

Curious, you reached under.

It was an iPod Touch. There was an app installed called TextNow. A message was displayed.

**Allen:** Meet me at midnight at the end of the block. My dad won't be home tonight. I won't let Henry keep us apart, dollface. I won't let him hurt you either.

* * *

**A.N.:** Let's get ready to sneak out everyone~

…Important: Please don't think of Reader's foster parents as 'bad' or 'evil'. They're just not very nice or understanding. Since this story is from Reader's perspective, we don't get the whole picture; there's definitely more to Henry & Lauren than meets the eye.

Anyway, please review your thoughts?


	5. Creatures of the Night

_Every girl wants a __**bad**__ boy who will be __**good**__ just for her…_

_And…_

_Every boy wants a __**good**__ girl who will be __**bad**__ just for him…_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Creatures of the Night**

* * *

"This iPod Touch is so cool. It's just like an iPhone, minus the calling." You thought aloud as you laid on your bed, Peter still playing with his Lego ship across the room.

"Really? I thought it _was_ an iPhone." He yawned, but not without looking up from his toys.

It was almost his bedtime. Soon, he would be asleep, and the night would begin. _I can't wait to see you, Allen…_ you thought to yourself as your adoptive brother found himself getting sleepier and sleepier.

About forty-five minutes later, he had stopped playing with the Legos and crawled into bed. You toyed with the iTouch a while longer, and then decided it was time.

Well, time to _call_ someone, that is. Since it wasn't even midnight yet and that was the time when you were supposed to meet Allen.

Since Henry had recently set up the home phone, you tiptoed into the kitchen and grabbed the device. It was only around ten in evening, but Peter and your foster parents were already asleep.

In the dark living room, you plopped down onto the couch and dialed the only number you knew by heart. As the phone rang, you looked out the window and into the moonlight-filled street. You instantly got a flutter in your stomach at the thought of sneaking out with Allen.

After a few seconds, the person on the other line picked up. _"Hello there, you're on with the he—"_

"—I'm on with the hero, I know." You couldn't help but grin at the sound of Alfred's carefree voice.

"__? Is that you? Dude, you sound so much better on this phone!"_

"Hehe, I know. That's because I'm not on the emergency Nokia that Lauren has. This is our house phone, so you can store this number."

"_Oh, cool! So hey, I miss you! What have you been doing?"_

You glanced out the window again. You'd wanted to talk with Alfred, but there was one other main reason as to why you'd called him tonight. "I've just been… hanging out. And really getting to know someone…" Your last sentence nearly ended as if it were a question.

"_Oh? Even though you're not in school yet?"_ A slurping sound was heard, as if he was drinking another extra-large soft drink from McDonald's while talking with you.

You hesitated, but eventually said, "Yeah… it-it's Allen." You felt a bit nervous to tell him, since your last conversation with him regarding Allen didn't end too well.

A pause.

You breathed out quietly, hoping Alfred wouldn't pick up on your uneasiness.

"…_Oh. That guy…"_ He mumbled.

You swallowed thickly, "…Yeah. That guy. He's actually really nice; I don't see why people have told you mean things about him."

You heard him groan through the phone. _"Ughh, _. Seriously. Why him? Are you saying you're dating him or whatever?"_

You felt your heartbeat quicken. "Well… yeah."

Another silence followed, albeit longer.

"…_Dude. Okay. You know you're my homie. So you should know that I look out for you. And, uh…"_ He paused again, and you looked down, fiddling with a loose string from the couch, _"Well… isn't he a few years older than us? I know that's cool and all, to date someone that's more 'mature', bUT I THINK THAT'S KINDA DUMB!"_ You nearly had to move the phone about two feet from your ear to keep from damaging your sense of hearing.

"What? But I—" You began, moving the phone back even though his raised voice might hurt your ears.

"_Seriously, that's dumb! He might be fresh out of high school, but we're sophomores. Come on! Isn't that a bit weird?"_

You sighed and stood up from the couch, beginning to pace. "Alfred, he's only about four years older than you. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Why are you so negative towards Allen? You can't _judge_ people based off what people _say_ about them!"

"_Yeah, but…"_ His voice sounded agitated, _"…I-I'm not there. I'm not right there, standing next to you, seeing you interact with this guy or watching the way he treats you. I'm really not there! I'm halfway across America, with almost no contact with you up 'til now, and when I'm not with you, who's there to protect you? Who's there to make sure you're safe? Who's there to fight off bad guys?! I'm just…"_ His voice quieted to nearly a whisper, _"…I'm just worried about you. I-I want to make sure you're okay…"_

Your heart nearly broke. You had no idea that Alfred felt that way. "A-Alfie…"

His voice hardened, _"Listen, _. I always hate when my dad tells me what to do, so I'm not gonna tell __**you**__ what to do. But as your friend, I worry, got it? I wanna tell you never to go near Allen again, but I won't," _He suddenly sounded as if he were wounded,_ "So just… p-play it safe, 'kay?"_

Play it safe. Sure, you could do that. You just had to visit Allen without either his parents or yours finding out.

As if reading your mind, Alfred added, _"Oh yeah… what do Henry and Lauren think of him?"_

Hey, he asked 'what do they _think'_ about him. Yeah, you knew what they thought of him. "They really like him. They call him smart and capable." Which was true. He often came by to help with the yard and house and Henry really relied on him.

Alfred chuckled, which felt somewhat sinister. _"Sure, okay. But _? Just know I don't approve at all."_

You laughed a bit as well, "You don't 'approve'?"

"_Nope; he's too old for you. But as long as he's good to you, I won't kick his ass.~"_

You giggled, now feeling a bit relieved. "As _if_ you could kick his ass."

"_Hey, aRE YOU SAYING I COULDN'T?"_

"Well he has a six-pack, and muscles, and works out, and you just play video games…"

"_Um, dude. UH, I PLAY PRO-WRESTLING VIDEO GAMES. And I have muscles too so suck it! Besides, I'm way cooler than some poser who everyone says is a cheap knock-off of me~"_

You finally calmed enough to sit back down on the couch. "And by 'everyone' do you mean Zao? Also, Allen doesn't even look like you that much. Just his hair maybe, and not even the color." _But his cute face and body type are similar, _you added in your mind.

For a while after that, Alfred tried to convince you of how much 'better' he was than Allen, whom he hadn't even _met_. Just the fact that the two had never even seen each other face-to-face was enough for you to shrug off any of Alfred's self-centered claims. Besides, Allen _didn't even know_ who Alfred was.

But… how would Allen react if he found out your only friend, and _best_ friend, was another male?

And… exactly how will Alfred handle you being in a relationship? You had yet to find out, since the whole time you'd been friends, neither of you had gotten romantic with anyone.

…Suddenly, a thought struck you:

**Real talk. What would happen if Alfred and Allen really **_**did**_** meet?**

Thinking about your longtime crush meeting your new boyfriend felt a bit too nerve-wracking at the moment. Instead, you began to wonder why you'd liked Alfred so much to _begin_ with.

Well, that was… easy. He was kind, caring, funny, charismatic, and honest. He held many of the same interests as you, understood you, _knew_ you, and looked out for you. For the past three years, he really had been your hero. He stuck by your side no matter what. Sure he was immature and a bit childish at times, but those were some of the qualities that you liked about him.

It wouldn't surprise anyone that you had fallen for him. But, you'd realized your feelings so long ago. Were they still there? Had they faded and you hadn't truly noticed, since you'd grown so accustomed to that way of thought?

No. _No_, they weren't gone. They were just overshadowed.

Darker, red-eyed feelings had taken over the once-sparkling, stars-and-striped ones in which you'd held for Alfred. The stronger affection you felt was now for Allen; your mysterious, gun-obsessed bad boy.

It was getting closer to midnight. Thus, it was getting closer to seeing him again.

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

The chilly nighttime air against your skin sent shivers down your spine. As you quietly shut the front door, your heart pounded even faster. Now was the time you'd been waiting for. Letting out a giddy laugh, you nearly _skipped_ down the street.

Sure enough, Allen was at the end of the block, learning against a streetlamp. The stars above him sparkled brightly, and the golden glow of the light over his head caused intricate shadows down his body. His arms were crossed, and he wasn't entirely facing you yet, but you felt your affection for him grow even more.

He was wearing a black hoodie, dark jeans, and red Converse. As soon as he turned, he caught sight of you getting close and smirked. "Looks like Dollface made it tonight~?" He cooed as he spread his arms, signaling you to run and jump into his strong embrace.

Giggling happily, you skipped and jumped onto him. Instantly he caught you, arms snaking around your waist. "I've been waiting for you…" He whispered into your ear, affectionately nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.

"Sorry to make you wait. I uh, was tied up with the phone." You mumbled.

You could've sworn that his grin twitched with dismay, "Oh yeah? Who was it?"

You shrugged, still hugging him. "Just a friend,"

Allen's body felt toned and perfect against your own. The thick hoodie only added to his warmth and your sense of comfort around him. He smelled deliciously of Drakkar Noir, your new favorite cologne. "Friend huh? Well, you're not gonna be thinking of your friends after tonight…" You gasped as he murmured the words into your ear, his teeth lightly teasing the tender skin.

He laughed at your embarrassment. "Haha, your cheeks are all red! That's totally cute, you know that~?" He pulled away to look more closely at your face, his mouth in a twisted grin. "I can't wait to see you blush like that some more in my room…"

Flustered, you tried to choke back a laugh and playfully shoved him away. "Shut _up_. I'm not blushing…"

"You so are! I swear, you're just like a kid."

"I-I'm not a kid!" You actually hated to hear him say things like that.

He chuckled, "Sure, sure, anything you say, dollface." He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and planted a chaste kiss upon your forehead.

"…Allen, I…—" You began, worried.

"Heh, I bet you can't catch me, young blood!" He teased, laughing maniacally as he tore away from you and began running down the street.

Taken aback, a smile instantly crept across your face. "…Oh, I will _so_ catch you!" Now full of joy, you began to chase him down the empty street, moonlight shining, your heart pounding, butterflies in your stomach, with feelings of nothing but exhilaration and love.

Having the time of your life, you continued to chase him down the dimly-lit street, as he laughed and teased you all the way to his house.

* * *

You were both still laughing together as you made it into his room, to which he playfully shoved you onto his bed, and slowly eased up on the teasing until he was straddling you and placing kisses down your neck. Air thick with passion, he continued to press his lips to your body, as you ran your fingers through his hair and tried to suppress moans of pleasure.

Soon, you found yourself making out with him whilst sprawled across his mattress. He didn't slow down there—he didn't intent to. _But only because he knew you didn't either._

You allowed him to slip off your shirt, to fondle your body. You'd never felt this good in your entire life, and he must have realized that. He began to tug off your pants, to which you accepted without hesitance.

His body was perfect, you came to realize. You'd noticed back at your house whenever he'd take off his tank top to work on the yard with Henry, but to feel and see Allen's hard abs up close was something else. His tanned skin was beautiful and his red eyes seemed to glow with arousal.

You couldn't understand how you'd gotten him this turned on. After all, you were just… you. And he was this older, more rebellious, experienced _God_, pretty much.

It had started out all dreamy and emotional, full of lust yet intense feelings. And then it got… unfamiliar, life-changing, and… somewhat invasive. Still, you couldn't bring yourself to despise it. This was all new to you, and you'd find it in yourself to grow used to it. You wanted to; you needed to.

Yes, it didn't feel very good at first, but towards the end you felt nothing but prosperity and bliss. You didn't regret it one bit. The night had been full of overwhelming ecstasy.

Except… the _pain_…

Allen sighed quietly, "…I know, I know, it hurt and you hated it. I'm so sorry, dollface. Next time will be much better, I promise." He knew the first time always caused discomfort for the girl.

You still regretted nothing. In fact, quite the opposite.

You knew Allen would become your whole world now.

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

These past few months, Lauren was always angry.

It was no secret that she lost her temper easily, and was often moody and inapproachable. But tonight—two weeks since you first snuck out with Allen—it seemed to be _worse_, if that was possible.

Even without looking at her—much less _speaking_ to her—she seemed upset and frustrated. You thought it might be stress from your family's situation overall, but if that was the case, then why wasn't she like this most days?

…You shivered at the thought alone.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that Henry wasn't home for dinner. No—that was most definitely it. But she didn't have to take it out on you and Peter with her stubborn silence and sharp movements (slamming cabinets, constantly scowling, violently shoving away groceries).

The dinner of boxed macaroni-and-cheese had been entirely tense and silent—you didn't even dare to speak with Peter. You didn't know if Lauren would snap at you simply for talking.

Currently, she was doing the dishes, you were cleaning up the living room, and Peter was coloring at the coffee table.

A few minutes later, you heard the kitchen faucet shut off. Stiffly, Lauren walked into the living room, her face strained with bottled-up fury. She noticed Peter innocently using his crayons on notebook paper. "Peter?" Her voice was calm and robotic, yet sounded a bit too 'nice' for your liking. She obviously wasn't about to say something good.

He looked up with only the naivety of a child, "Huh?"

Her teeth clenched, and you paused dusting the windowsill to look over at them.

"Tell me. Why don't you go read a book? Learn multiplication? You're starting first grade soon, why can't you read good?"

"Uh… well, I-I…" He stuttered.

She rolled her eyes, "This summer you've done nothing but play with your toys. Quit messing around and learn. You should already know how to read a book, Peter." She spat out the last few words with venom.

You dropped the towel and cleaner bottle, facing Lauren. "He can't learn that kind of thing on his own, Lauren. We have to help him. You can't be unreasonable like that and still expect him to learn."

She shot you an icy stare, "You. Shut up. Don't back talk me like that." She turned back to Peter, "And you. Quit drawing pictures and show me how you write your name."

Your fists clenched. How could she be so harsh towards a six-year-old? And not just any six-year-old, but _your_ sweet little brother—adoptive or not. "_Lauren_," You didn't care that you were 'back talking' her, "He's using his imagination to draw amazing landscapes that you don't even bother to _look_ at. This 'playing' as you call it? He's creating basically an entire country in his mind; have you heard of it? _He calls it Sealand."_

"_—" She began coldly.

You shook your head, "—No, _you_ listen. You don't give Peter enough credit! He's a bright, intelligent, creative child. I don't care what you call me, but _he's_ nothing that you think he is!" She didn't understand you, and you could deal with that. But if she couldn't treat Peter the way he was supposed to be treated, you would be sure to fix that.

Silently, Peter was staring down at his lap; you couldn't see his expression.

As if she were truly heartless, she scoffed, "Heh, you _both_ need work. I don't care what you say. You're all far from perfect. You, my dear, have an attitude problem. Peter is behind on his education. Henry is…" She paused, her expression hardening with fury, "_at rock bottom_. And—"

You could barely stand to listen. How could she call Peter 'behind'? You knew that he wasn't. He could read just fine for his age, but Lauren didn't pay close enough attention to him. You were _more furious at her for insulting your baby brother _than for her insulting _you_.

Of course, at that most perfect time, Henry happened to stumble into the house.

No double-take was needed to understand that he was piss-drunk.

Lauren didn't take the instant opportunity to screech at him. This gave him the time to look at you and slur out that you needed to 'learn to cook a good meal, get your driver's permit, start looking for a job' otherwise you were worthless.

Lauren's time bomb went off, but not at you—she directed it mainly towards Henry and only because of his earlier actions, nothing to do with what he'd said at the present.

As soon as the yelling started, Peter ran upstairs.

You sighed; how could this be your family?

Though no matter what, you knew one thing—you would always protect Peter.

* * *

**-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

It was now some hours later.

It was past midnight, and you were in the passenger seat of Allen's truck. "This is a party for, ummm, 'marginals'." He warned, eyes on the road. "There's goths, punks, tweakers, stoners, bikers, the way-out art crowd, and a few seriously mentals. What there aren't are frats, teen queens, Bible thumpers, or anybody that thinks they're somebody. These people live on the edge of the map—where there be dragons."

You tossed him an odd look, "So why are we here?"

He shrugged, and parked on a curb. "I have a deal to make."

You felt a heavy feeling in your stomach, but chose to ignore it. "Gonna buy another gun?"

He stared at your face for a moment, then decided it was safe to proceed. "Heh, you know I collect 'em. Stay here." He started to get out.

No. Way. "_Allen_, no. I'm coming." You declared stubbornly.

He paused, expression irritated. "_No_, they'll try to—"

_**THUMP.**_

You jumped in surprise at the noisy sound that came from _very closely_ to your right.

You almost shrieked when you saw a person's face pressed firmly to your window, his expression clearly annoyed yet emotionless at the same time. His eyes were purple and sleep-deprived, gray circles beneath them; his overgrown blonde hair tied in a messy ponytail, with sunglasses similar to Allen's resting over his head. The fact that his white-bandaged hands were also pressed up against the glass only gave him more of a _fucking creepy_ appearance. _"Al? You in there?"_ His voice was a monotone.

Allen seemed to forget your presence at the moment. His face lit up as he ran around the truck to greet the weirdo, "Mattie~! I'm over here—"

You calmed down a bit once 'Mattie' backed off your window. Unbuckling your seatbelt, you decided that you were _not_ about to leave Allen's side. At least people wouldn't mess with you while he was right there.

As soon as you walked out of the truck, Allen noticed you and—unlike his prior attitude towards you getting out—giddily introduced you. "Matt, this is my girl _." He ruffled your hair, "And _, this is Matt. He's like a brother to me~"

"…Hi." He greeted awkwardly. He was wearing a red plaid shirt; it was unbuttoned and wrinkled. The sleeves were rolled up, and the open shirt revealed more white bandages wrapped around his torso and slanted up to his shoulder.

"N-Nice to meet you."

Allen smirked towards Matt, "So, did you bring it? I have the pay right here." He tapped his jeans pocket once.

Matt nodded quietly, "S'inside." He mumbled.

Allen lightly punched his friend's shoulder, "Then what are you waiting for? Let's go get it." Matt nodded again and began to trudge towards the house. Allen followed, and you did so as well. You couldn't help but giggle at the fact that Matt seemed like he was either on drugs, half-asleep, or in a trance the whole time.

Once inside, Allen pulled out a plastic bag of pot and handed it over. Matt went to go fetch something from another room. He came back with an object wrapped in a white towel, about the length of your arm. Allen instantly latched onto it, thanked his buddy with a quick head-pat, and then left to put the item in his truck.

He left you completely alone.

…_He. Left. You. Alone._

The realization hit you like an atomic bomb. _Allen… I'm so gonna kill you!_ Glancing around, the house was indeed filled with the strangest of people. _I swear_… you thought to yourself_, If any of these losers touch me, they're gonna get hurt._ Either from you or from Allen, you just knew it.

Matt was still standing somewhat close by, but you could tell that he was wandering a bit and you were _not_ about to follow him around.

Instead, you boldly walked a bit deeper into the crowd. Music was pounding through speakers, you could barely see, and people were constantly bumping into you, but you didn't let it bother you.

Several more steps in, you finally came across another girl who was alone. At first glance, she seemed approachable… maybe.

But then you saw her up close.

_What was this?_ Seriously…?!

She was dancing by herself, having a great time. She was wearing a white crop top, extremely short jean cutoffs, and a brown leather bomber jacket. But none of this was what struck you as odd.

"Excuse me…" You mumbled in awe towards the girl. To your surprise, she noticed you right away, and stopped dancing to look at you.

"Hm? What is it, dolly~?"

She was a tall, tanned girl with short, wavy brown hair, along with eyes of red that seemed to imitate Allen's _as well as_ black sunglasses over her head that reminded you of both Allen's and Matt's. "Uh… sorry, you just reminded me of someone…" You were still gaping at her appearance.

She laughed, and even her laugh reminded you of Amelia's. Of course, Amelia was Alfred's older sister. Plus… this girl's appearance _definitely_ reminded you of—

"-_There_ you are! Why didn't you stay with Matt?!" Allen complained as he made his way up to you.

Glancing between him and the girl, you only managed to sputter out, "I, er, what—?"

But as he got over to you, his annoyance seemed to fade. He took one look at the other girl, grinned, and then faced you again. Plopping one hand on your shoulder and his other on the look-alike's, he casually said, "Oh, cool. I see you've come across my cousin. _, this is Alexa. She's kind of a boss-ass bitch." He chuckled, to which she smirked and flicked his forehead.

…Oh. So now it all made sense. Alexa said something to Allen, but you were too busy taking them in to catch it.

Their matching crimson-colored irises, matching brunette locks, and matching tanned skin caused them to look more like _twins_. Evil twins. As in twins in crime or something. Why? You had no idea. "Hi Alexa. I _knew_ you reminded me of someone." You told her with a smile.

She smirked in response, "Oh really… heh, you're a cutie. You know that?" She turned to her cousin, "…You really don't deserve this one, Al~."

He frowned, and tugged on one of her brown tresses as punishment. She hissed and pulled out a baseball bat out of seemingly nowhere, "You don't have to pull my hair, asshole!"

At that moment, Matt walked back to the group. "Hey Al, they're here."

"_Who_?" He barked, still bothered by Alexa's comment.

Matt's expression didn't change, "Ion and Francois, eh? They brought more stuff."

In a flash, Allen's look of exasperation turned to excitement. "Huh? No way!" He glanced at you, "Hey dollface, I'll be back. Sorry to leave again. Stay right here with Alexa and don't move, got it? And don't talk to anyone else! Okay?" Matt began to pull him away, and as he was dragged, he didn't fail to call out once more, "Don't talk to _anyone_ but Alexa! You hear me?!"

Once they were gone, you turned to said girl. She was glancing around the party, looking hopeful yet lost. "Hey, are you looking for someone?" You asked. She clearly hadn't heard a single word that Allen had said.

In a hurry, she replied, "Yeah, Flavio. Where's Flavio? I thought Flavio would be here by now. I needa see my Flavio! I _really_ wanna see my Fla—OH MY GOD THERE HE IS!" As if she had the attention span of a child, she scurried off to greet… some… 'Flavio'.

Leaving you here, alone, in the middle of party, full of types of people you've never seen before, with no clue as to where the exit was. You were already too far in the crowd.

Well… Alexa and Allen were definitely related then. _Screw this…_ you thought, annoyed. Why did Allen have to leave again? And how come Alexa had to abandon someone she just met? _…I'M ALONE AGAIN!_ You shouted angrily in your mind.

Desperate to get out of there, you started fast-walking towards wherever you remembered the exit to be.

…Of course, it didn't take long to bump into somebody.

"Excuse me, sorry, 'scuse me, that was an accident, pardon—" It was as if people had no concept of personal space. No one really cared if you bumped into them, until you happened to step on someone's foot.

"_Fuck_—who did that?!"

Oh great. You were in trouble now.

You instantly whipped around, ready with an apology. But as you opened your mouth to say the words, they momentarily caught in your throat. You'd recognized this person and you weren't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Apparently, he recognized you too. His sharp red eyes widened slightly upon seeing your face, but only for a split second until he smirked and his eyes narrowed flirtatiously, "Oh hey gorgeous. I never expected to see _you_ here. Lucky day, huh Oliver? We can thank the Chinese New Year for this, hahaha!"

Oliver smiled as if in apology, "Zao my dearest, it's not Chinese New year…"

A strange scent wafted from the red Changshan-clad male; it was probably some type of weird drug. Opium, perhaps…? "Awh, it's not? Sucks. Anyway, I remember you! _, right? Alfie's lovely girlfriend~?" He teased, getting closer to you. A bit… _too_ close.

His black military cap shaded half of his face at the moment, but you could detect the smirk on his lips. Nervously, you looked down—only to get an eyeful of his bare chest. That black-trimmed shirt of his was practically half-open, anyway. "I-I'm his best friend, not girlfriend. But yeah, I remember you. Thanks for helping us move in, that was nice of you." Glancing towards Oliver, you gave him a smile as to add him in the appreciation. He was there that day, along with Zao—that fateful day when you'd first met Allen. If it weren't for them, you really would have never met him.

"G-Good heavens! You are _so much more_ than welcome, poppet. Oh, so sweet~ you deserve a huggle!" Oliver giggled and nearly hug-tackled you, semi-avoiding Zao.

"Heh… I'm guessing you're here with Allen?" He asked once you finally peeled Oliver off you.

"Er, yeah…" Funny how he wasn't with you at the moment. Looking back up at Zao, it struck you as odd that he knew both Allen and Alfred. You wondered if he saw the same differences between them as you did.

Losing all silliness, Zao asked you in a more serious voice, "…He left you, didn't he?"

Alarmed, you replied, "Oh no, he said he'd be right back, he never actually left m—"

He sighed, cutting off your sentence with, "-Yeah yeah, I get it. Still though, what the fuck? That guy, I swear." He shook his head in disappointment, and turned back to you a few seconds later. "Hey _, listen. Er, you're dating Allen, right? I can tell. Anyway, you should know something." He paused, as if waiting for a response.

You hesitantly gave him a nod.

He continued, "He's… a bit on the wild side, so uh, be careful. I know you're really close with that dorky friend of mine, Alfred—so I know you're just as dorky and innocent and _well_ let's just say that's a weird match for someone like Allen," He shrugged, and looked you straight in the eye: "…Ya feel me?"

For a moment, you didn't know what to say.

Oliver filled the silence with, "Hehe, don't get me wrong, I love me some Allen, but Zao's right—be careful around him, poppet~."

'Be careful'? You were sure that if you needed to be careful, you would've noticed it by now. So far, you never felt threatened when near Allen; _at all_. In fact, just the opposite. He'd protected you from Henry; he'd protect you from anything. "He told me to stay by Alexa. I didn't know she'd run off like that."

Zao shrugged in a sarcastic _'I dunno~'_ manner, lips in a smirk as he gave you a wink, "'Kay then, don't say Emperor Zao didn't warn ya. _Anyway_," He slinked closer towards you, throwing an arm across your shoulder like a real playboy, "How have you been, _tàitài_?"

Oliver rose his hand up as if in a classroom, "Um, Zao, I'm learning Chinese in school, how come you just called _ your wife?"

Zao shot him a… _look_, "Shut up Oliver."

The strawberry-blonde simply giggled and stepped closer to you as well, "…My lady. May I have this dance~?" He gestured in his most gentlemanly composure towards the dance floor.

The term '_If looks could kill'_ crossed your mind as Zao tossed Oliver another glare, "What the hell? _No way._ I had her first, cupcake-baker."

Oliver grinned from nearly ear-to-ear in the creepiest smile you've ever seen, "Is that so, opium-smoker? Well may I remind you that I was the first to call her cute?"

Zao scoffed, "Yeah it's 'so', you little pink nightmare. And that first day doesn't fucking count."

Oliver tilted his head, still grinning, and responded, "It _does_ count, you foul-mouthed wanker—"

"-And am I just supposed to stand here while you two asswipes argue over my girl while calling each other pathetic insults?" Allen was crossing his arms, watching Zao and Oliver with fire in his red irises.

In unison: "…Uh…"

You couldn't help it—you laughed. All three of their reactions were priceless.

Allen had grabbed Zao and playfully tugged him into a head-lock, whipping off the Chinese male's military cap and comically fisting his hair. "Dammit, that _hurts_, Al!" He whined, powerless to his friend's grip.

Oliver laughed maniacally, "Yeah, get 'em, Al! Beat up that meanie-head till he—" The Brit came to an abrupt stop when Allen shot him a look of irritation.

"Shut up. You were messing with _ too." He released Zao and shoved him off his chest.

Once he regained balance, Zao proclaimed, "Haha… at least I got off easy. You love me too much than to actually kill me, don'tcha Al?" He laughed nervously, placing the hat back onto his now-messy short hair.

Allen turned to you, "Did he touch you?"

Regaining composure from your fit of giggles, you replied, "Huh? Oh… no, all they did was ask me to dance."

Allen sighed, somewhat glad to hear the response. Glancing back to his friends, he confirmed, "…Yeah, I guess I love you guys too much. You two dildos are lucky—anyone else would've gotten their asses kicked."

Oliver piped up, "Even Matt?"

Allen shrugged, "Well maybe, but he knows better than that anyway."

As if on cue, said male returned, followed by Alexa and a new, different blonde guy. "Hey Al, I found Flavio!" She exclaimed as she pulled along a scarf-wearing, sparkling Italian.

"She ran into the street to see him and almost got hit by a truck." Matt informed absentmindedly.

The guy with huge orange Aviators adjusted his fancy white suit, "What can I say? I _am_ both fabulous and amazing, after all~" This… was the 'Flavio' that Alexa was talking about?

Allen laughed, "Yeah, you pretty much are, bro." He light-heartedly tugged on the fashionable male's heart-shaped hair curl.

You were standing off to the side, overshadowed by Flavio, Alexa, and Matt. They had Allen's full attention now, and you couldn't help but feel… in the slightest… bit… _ignored_. Allen had left you twice for them now and was still conversing with them more than you.

Oliver and Zao were still by your side, at least. They began talking about… _tea_, to your surprise, and they even kindly attempted to include you in the conversation.

"I hate Earl Greyyyy," Oliver whined.

"Earl Grey is the fucking best. And if you say Green Tea is then I'll be happy to snap your little neck."

"But someone I hate actually _loves_ Earl Grey. And I must hate everything he loves." Oliver reasoned.

Zao shrugged, and turned to you. "What do you think, _tàitài_? Do you like tea?"

You stared at them blankly. _Them_, of all people, really were discussing _tea_. "…I'm not too fond of wet leaves, thank you for asking."

As they laughed at your response and then continued their debate on different kinds of tea, you began to look around the room in boredom.

That was when you heard the voices.

Many people were talking and shouting around you, but this certain trio of vocals stood out among the rest and easily managed to catch your attention. This particular group of yelling was distinct due to the mash-up of German, Italian, and Japanese accents. If Zao's and Oliver's dialects weren't enough, there was this other mix-up over here. Curious, you glanced around for their owners.

Turned out, you weren't the only one who heard them.

Zao instantly waved them over, "Hey Kuro! And… Kuro's friends! Hiii!"

The new people joined the group. One of them looked similar to Flavio—but with much different colors. Brown hair instead of blonde, dark clothes instead of colorful, but still Italian nonetheless. "_Ciao_ bastard. The name's Luciano and you better remember it." He hissed out towards Zao.

The one with black hair—most likely the one called 'Kuro'—faced Zao as well and grimaced. "Why do you still call me over all the time?"

The taller one nudged him, "Hey _dummkopf_, don't be mean." He teased, contrary to his quite terrifying appearance.

"_Anyway_," Luciano began, side-peeking towards you, "Who's this lovely friend of yours, Zao?"

Kuro noticed you as well, and gave you a smirk. "Hey, you look like a character from one of my hentai games."

The one with the German accent looked you over, "What? No she doesn't! Her hair and eyes, maybe, but the body? No way. A girl like Alexa would look like one of those characters," After realizing Alexa was actually close by, he quickly added, "Oh look, sexy chick's right there. Hey, Alexa! Remember me?!" He waved at her, who was still clinging to Flavio.

Glancing around, you noticed that the group had multiplied to ten people. The party was still raging, but no one dared to go near the 'friends' you were with. Were they really that scary? Some of them, you could understand, but ones like Flavio and Oliver didn't look so frightening.

Still, you realized that you were hanging out with a gang of… _dark people_. Creatures of the night. Most of them were probably druggies except for Allen. Would you have ever believed you'd be here back when you lived in California? You'd snuck out at night with your secret boyfriend to come to a party so he could buy a gun. And apparently, chat with his peculiar friends as well.

Sometime later, Allen was still talking with Matt and Flavio.

Zao and Oliver had wandered off, and you found yourself with Alexa. "So like, are me and Matt pretty much the only people Al introduced you to?" She asked half-heartedly.

Sipping your drink—you knew it was soda, with nothing like LSD laced in, because you'd forced Allen to check—you replied, "Yeah… pretty much. I already knew Zao and Oliver though."

She chuckled, "Huh? But not even to Kuro, Luciano, or Lutz? Or anyone else?"

You shook your head. Besides, you didn't really care to be introduced to them.

She smiled and patted your shoulder, "It's only because he's protective, my little dolly. Don't worry. He's not introducing you to anyone because he just doesn't want someone to steal you from him."

That actually felt… a little reassuring. "Really?"

She nodded, "Yup. But, who cares? You could do way better than my stupid cousin. Here, lemme introduce you to Kuro and Luciano." She turned and shouted their names before you got the chance to stop her. You'd just barely escaped them…!

Instantly, the two boys came over. _"Someone call?"_ Luciano purred into your ear from behind. You jumped, not expecting the sudden Italian accent so close to your face.

Kuro was by Alexa's side. "…Alexa-chan? Did you wish to speak with us?"

She grinned maliciously, and you swallowed, nervous. She was planning something—you could tell, and it wasn't going to be good. "Oh yeah, I just wanted to tell you guys that _ here think you're both hot as fuck and shetoldmenottotellyoubutyeahbye." Giggling, she skipped off and disappeared into the crowd.

Your throat went dry. Goosebumps immediately covering your skin and heart jumping into overdrive, you decided to curse Alexa's name for the rest of your life.

"Oooh, how interesting~ You think I'm hot as fuck, do you, _bella_?" Luciano whispered, _still from behind_ and you could confirm it when you felt his chest press entirely to your back, his arms snaking around your waist.

Standing in front of you, Kuro's arms were crossed, but his eyes were menacing and his lips were in a smirk. "Both of us, huh? I admire your courage. Not many girls decide to take on both Luciano and I," He winked at you, "I like it."

You felt your blood heat up. Was it getting warmer in here? Kuro stepped closer, one hand grabbing yours and the other reaching up for your chin. You blushed when he gently lifted it with his thumb and forefinger, Luciano's face pressed to your neck, "What was your name again? Heh, I don't even remember. But where shall it be, princess? My car or Luciano's~?"

You suddenly got the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Not exactly because of what Kuro said, but because this little _ordeal_ had been going on for too long without Allen's interference.

He would show up in five… four… thr—

"_Ouch,"_ Kuro groaned as he was forcefully shoved to the ground, "What the _fuck_, Allen?" Fury was his eyes as he stared up at the male who had pushed him.

The party's mood instantly plummeted. People nearby stopped dancing, some gasped, others ran at the sight of Allen's outrage.

Luciano reluctantly—but _quickly_—backed away from you, nearly unnoticed. Allen was too busy glaring at Kuro—a look of pure detestation in his fiery eyes, lips in a thin line and hands balled into fists. His arms were twitching; he looked more than ready for a bloodbath.

Before the thought to stop him even occurred to you, Allen did what you least expected. He glanced away from Kuro and looked straight at you.

His usual affection was not there when he saw you. Instead, he gave you the most venomous look of spite you'd ever seen. In that moment, it flashed in your mind: Allen was dangerous. Especially when he was angry.

Right now, he was furious _with you._

"I'm leaving," He hissed, voice low and steady. "Don't follow me." With that, he stormed out of the house.

Everyone in the party was quiet following the door-slam.

They were all left wondering the same thing. _Why didn't Allen even bother to hit Kuro?_

They all knew he normally would have; almost any boyfriend would in that situation. But, no—he chose to be enraged with you instead. Did he really choose it? Had you done something else to make him mad?

You wouldn't allow another second to pass without him. "Allen, wait!" You shouted after him, running out the doorway and into the night. "ALLEN!"

He was already in his truck, engine roaring as he pulled out of the parking space. You sprinted towards the vehicle, but he had already turned onto the street. "Allen, no…" You'd never seen him like this. You'd only caught glimpses of his temper.

And it was about to get worse.

"Allen… please…" You whimpered, even though you knew it was useless. He was already speeding down the street; you were standing in the center. What had you done? Was it really your fault? Allen was all you had in this state. You couldn't lose him now.

You heard a truck's motor blaring.

And suddenly you were bathed in the glare of headlights. Alarmed, you looked up—and felt your heart slow down. Like your life was about to fade away with the white lights of the vehicle. Would Allen run you over?

He jumped out of the truck with the engine still running. You flinched when he threw his arms around you.

"What is _wrong_ with me? I'm so sorry. Dollface, please. I care about you so much. I just got so jealous when I saw Kuro touching you. I wanted to hit him, but the thought of you letting him just made me explode_. At you._ I'm so, so sorry."

He pulled back and looked at you, stroking your face with his thumbs. His thick-lashed red eyes were deep with tears. "I'm a jerk. I know it. I'm not going to be one again, I swear."

He kissed you, little kisses, all over your face—your cheeks, your eyelids, your nose, your forehead, then your neck, then long deep kisses on your mouth. He led you back to the idling truck and shoved you down into the seats.

"I'll make it up to you…" He promised.

* * *

**A.N.:** So how's the story going? Like it?

Just a reminder that it'll be around 10-11 chapters long. So only 5 or 6 left. By the way, here are the official genres: **[Drama/ Angst/ Thriller]**. ~Btw omg yay 2P!Fem!America had an appearance along with most of the other 2Ps~

Review or else the Second Players will come to beat you up.


	6. Shattered Innocence

_I sit in the **dark**. And it would be hard to figure out—_

_Which is worse; the darkness __**inside**__, or the darkness __**out**__._

* * *

**Chapter Six: Shattered Innocence**

* * *

You already understood that Henry wasn't good at keeping his promises.

But the fact that he couldn't even remember to enforce his own rules was kind of laughable.

He'd forbade you from having any contact with Allen, and yet he still asked him to work at the house. It was coming together nicely, though the yard was still a mess. Often times, Henry left you alone with Allen even after he'd told you not to speak with him anymore.

This afternoon was another one of those times.

"Is he still inside?" Allen asked, his ruby-red eyes locked on the paintbrush in his hand as he brushed strokes down the house's exterior.

"Yup. And Lauren's out running errands with Peter, too." You informed him, painting the side of the house as well.

He turned slightly to peek at you, "'Kay. So what do you think of my idea?"

Immediately, a feeling of uneasiness took over you. Sighing, you set down the brush on a nearby patio table, "...Well, are you sure it's a good idea? Why did you hate that cop so much anyway?"

He'd told you earlier about how he planned to vandalize the home of a police officer. You understood that he knew the cop on a 'personal' level, but he hadn't explained how or why.

He pouted slightly, and threw down his paintbrush. He was standing only about four feet away, and leaned against a part of the wall that wasn't freshly painted yet. "...Er, I didn't tell you-?"

You smiled a bit and shook your head, "No, you didn't." He looked kind of adorable with that sulky look on his face.

He sighed, and crossed his arms. "That cop's been on my ass ever since I moved here. Apparently he used to be a part of the police force in my old town back in New York. He already knew about me and the things I did so I guess he decided to be even more of a dick to me than he needs to be." He was staring down at the ground, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"Uh, like how?"

He scowled and looked back up, "I was walking home one night when he drove up to me and made me stop. He forced me to take a drug test, an alcohol test,_and_ he checked me for any weapons. I hadn't even done anything wrong! That asswipe just assumed I was about to commit a crime or some shit. He even had me on the ground at some point. He was acting like such a fuckin' douche, too. All I was doing was walking home from Zao's house. I hadn't touched drugs or alcohol that whole damn night." His teeth clenched.

You nodded, "Yeah, that's unfair."

He turned back to aggressively continue painting the house—to which you had to stifle a giggle—and muttered, "That cop deserves an ass-kicking. He's lucky he's even a cop. _That's_ why," He glanced at you, "I need to fuck up his house or _something_ to get him back."

Something didn't feel right. Eyebrows knit together, you pointed out, "But you said you got in trouble back in New York. You've told me that before too, but you never said how." You paused to stare at him; he stubbornly avoided eye contact and continued painting. "...Can you tell me now?"

He rolled his eyes, "It's stupid. You don't want to hear it, trust me."

You stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He peered back up at you and lowered his paintbrush. "_Allen_. Tell me please."

The look of concern on your face was probably what got him to cave. "Alright, _fine_, whatever." He shrugged, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well... my dad left when I was a kid. I guess I... took that kind of personally. I hated him for it. And living with Mom in New York wasn't the greatest. She ignored me; she could barely take care of herself. So..." He glanced away, avoiding eye contact again. "I did stupid stuff, trying to get attention. Skipping school, shoplifting. Name some random kid kind of destructiveness and I probably did it. Nobody noticed. Or cared. Mom was worried about paying the bills and getting a drink every night. Dad had bailed and wasn't coming back."

He ran a hand through his dark hair, tense. He appeared to be holding back his fury. "So I went big and boosted a car. Got caught. I thought Dad would come rescue me and Mom would cry and..." He paused. "They didn't even get me a real lawyer. Public defender. They turned their backs on me. Abandoned me."

_His mom probably got sick of him. That's why she eventually forced him to move in with his dad—way out here,_ you realized. "That's horrible."

"I hate them both," He stated.

His voice wasn't angry. It was cold, unflinching. You'd thought he was more dangerous than his guns. You decided to push that away.

He was just a hurt boy.

* * *

**D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

After Allen went home for the day, Lauren and Peter came home.

"How was it?" You asked your brother absentmindedly as you skimmed a magazine on the living room couch.

"Boring!" He complained, "Mom just takes me to grocery stores and furniture places." He plopped down on the sofa with you. "...It's never fun to go shopping with her." He mumbled.

You set down your magazine. Since he wasn't in school yet, Peter hadn't made any friends in this state yet. He'd been playing alone for weeks, and looked forward to nothing other than going out into town. And now, apparently, that wasn't enough. He wasn't happy.

You wanted him to be happy.

"...Hey Peter, guess what I found out from Allen yesterday?"

He sat up, instantly starry-eyed at the mention of Allen. "What?! What did you hear from him?"

You grinned, and ruffled his blonde hair. "There's a park nearby. Have you been to it yet?"

His cerulean eyes widened, "_No?!_ Why hasn't anyone taken me?"

You shrugged, "I dunno. Let's change that right now."

A while later, you arrived at the neighborhood park with Peter. He gave you a big hug and then dashed off to play. As he introduced himself to a few other children, you sat down on one of the benches. How could neither Henry or Lauren brought him here? Didn't they see how trapped he was inside that stuffy house?

It wasn't healthy. You almost wished summer would end soon so that you and Peter could escape to school. At least you'd be away from Henry and Lauren for some hours.

You watched Peter run around for a while. He seemed to have already made a good friend—it was a young Moldovan boy wearing a ghost costume. _In the middle of June._ The person he kept running back to was another teenager, one wearing a red trench coat and scolding him in a Romanian accent.

Eventually, they had to leave the park. You decided to get their number in case Peter wanted to play with him again. "Okay, thanks. And what was your brother's name again...?" You asked, hoping not to sound rude.

His older sibling grinned cheerfully, "His name is Moldova! Cool huh? A-Anyway, uh..." He looked down and blushed shyly, "Is-Is there some other reason why you wanted my number...?"

You glanced down at your phone, which had the name 'Vladimir' spread across the screen as a new contact. "Nope," You looked back up at him and smiled weakly, "I uh, have a boyfriend."

After a stilted, rushed, flustered apology, Vladimir bid you goodbye and left with his brother. Peter waved at them as they left, and then turned to you. "Thanks for getting their number! Now I'll have someone to play with. Moldova was so cool! And you should have heard all the nice things he said about his brother."

"Yeah..." You stared at 'your' phone; which was really the old Nokia that Lauren had bought for emergencies. She'd insisted you take it since you were going somewhere alone with Peter. "So. We still have a bit of time left. Wanna go play on the swings?"

"Sure!"

As you sat next to Peter on the swing-set, he looked up into the nearing sunset. "...I haven't had this much fun since we moved here," He admitted quietly.

You glanced at him and smiled, "I know." _He was happy because of you._

"...Big sister?"

Your smile lowered. His voice sounded strangely serious. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

His hands were still wrapped around the swing's chains, and he looked down at his dangling legs. "Is everything... okay?"

You nearly felt your heart crack. "'Okay'? Um..." You wanted to feel like a good older sibling—but would a good one lie? Peter may not be related to you by blood, but you loved him as if he were. He deserved to hear the truth; he was smart enough to understand. "...I don't know if everything will be okay," You whispered.

Upon hearing your words, he looked back up into the sky. _"I knew it."_

His voice had barely been audible. "You what?"

His eyes continued to stare into the orange, gold, and pink skyline. "My country's different. It's way different than how we live at home. It's got no war, no bad people, and no evil."

You stared at him, clutching the swing's chains even tighter in your hands. "What do you—"

"-If it was real, it would be one of those big, important countries. One that everyone relied on," He slipped off the swing and twirled around the set, "It would be beautiful, on an island in the bright blue ocean. There would be rich history, landmarks, and exciting places to visit! Everyone would love it and wanna come live with me~!" He climbed on the play structure, and began imagining that he was on a ship leading to his 'country'. "Onward to Sealand!" He shouted joyously, steering the play wheel and pointing into the horizon.

From your spot on the swings, you chuckled and said, "You really wanna run a country, don't you Peter?" He could run for president later this year and you'd vote for him.

He nodded rapidly, and continued to describe a nation full of peace, love, and happiness.

If only he knew about the horrors going on within his own immediate family.

His childhood innocence was still fully intact. You wished to be a little girl again so you could feel that purity once more.

However, you knew that you had already lost your innocence.

You would shelter Peter from this harsh world. Peter, your sweet, adorable little brother. You would protect him for the rest of your days.

* * *

**D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-**

* * *

That night, you were thinking about what Allen had told you. He wanted to vandalize a cop's house, but why?

Because he'd treated him unfairly? Sure, it was true, but he mentioned that he'd checked him for weapons.

So, did that mean he found one of Allen's guns? And if so, how had he reacted to it? Did he get in trouble? There must have been some kind of problem, since Allen had stolen a car before moving here from New York. "...Hey. About what you told me...—"

"-I don't like to talk about it." He interrupted, and then shoved his face into a pillow.

From your spot at his desk, you sauntered up to his bed. "But it's only me," You pressed, staring down at his back. By now, his face was buried in a pillow, his arms clinging onto it as he laid on his chest. "When that police officer checked you for weapons, did he find one of your guns?"

He groaned, and eventually responded, "Nope. Hate to admit it, but I was lucky. It's not like I was out shooting people though, so it wouldn't even be a problem. I still can't stand that dude."

He wasn't himself tonight. Normally he'd be all over you—either intimately or comfortingly. When you snuck out at night to see him, you never knew what to expect: sex or an evening full of talking and laughing.

Tonight was neither. He was sulking on his bed, mostly likely planning revenge on that cop. It was clear by how distracted he was, and it was embarrassing to admit—but you could also tell by his total lack of attention on you. He was—_almost_—ignoring you.

With a sigh, you plopped down on his mattress. Or, more like, completely sat on his legs to snap him out of it. "You always talk about your guns... and yet you've never shown me. I was just wondering, uh..." You trailed off, unsure of how to ask.

He raised his head a bit, aware of the fact that you were playfully straddling his back. "You what? I didn't hear you. Dollface, you mumble a lot."

Frowning, you lightly punched his upper back with your fists and growled, "Show me your guns, dammit." ...It wasn't like what you said reminded you of your old friend Lovino from back in pre-school.

He chuckled, and shifted positions. His movement from laying on his stomach caused you to slide off his back and fall awkwardly to a corner of the bed. "Hey—" You began to protest.

"-Cool. You'll love them." He quickly reached under his bed and pulled out a large gray storage box. It appeared to be heavy, because he struggled to place it on top of the mattress. "...Here they are~ they're my children so be _motherfucking careful."_

You thought he was joking. But from his face expression, he was not. "Well, look if you wanna look." He'd pulled off the lid.

After taking in a deep breath, you leaned forward and peered into the huge container.

...What, was this guy planning to join the army?

You didn't know a whole lot about guns, but from what you saw, every gun you'd ever seen in every action movie was there. _Every single type_ of gun for all you knew. Handguns, shotguns, rifles, muskets, pistols, not to mention _a fucking grenade_, knives, a samurai sword (did Zao give him that?), and countless boxes of extra bullets. "...Wow," You exhaled, heart pounding.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A wicked smile was on his lips as he gazed at the collection lovingly.

You'd never seen him look at _you_ like that before. "Allen..."

"Yeah?" He still hadn't torn his love-struck stare away from the weapons yet.

You didn't feel... entirely safe. Were those things _loaded_? Stuffed together like that, what if one accidentally went off? Did he have any other _bombs_ in there? This... this couldn't be legal. There was no way his dad knew about this. "I don't, uh..." You slowly crept away, "I don't think I wanna be here..." You murmured quietly.

At that, he looked back up in an instant. "What—why? Dollface, you know I'd never point one of these monsters at you. Why are you backing away?" He shoved the box to the side, "Come here. Hey, come here." His eyebrows furrowed with concern, "Are you okay? D-Don't leave..." _And don't abandon me,_ you knew he was thinking.

"I..." Your eyes shifted nervously between he and the storage box of guns. You were on the very edge of the bed, tempted to run out the door.

The distress in his crimson eyes made your heart crack. How could you make him feel this way? You'd hurt him. You didn't know if you could forgive yourself for that. "Dollface, _please_..." He begged, cautiously reaching out for you.

Allowing him to grab your arm, you let him drag you back down to lay with him. He pressed you to his chest and you instinctively snuggled up to him as he explained, "You're my whole world now, _. You're all that keeps me from going insane. I can't lose you, dollface." He pressed a kiss to your temple, "I need you in my life... got it?" He wrapped his arms even tighter around your body and chuckled, "...After all, you can't escape me~"

You weren't sure if that last sentence was serious or not. "...Okay," You agreed.

For some time after that, you laid there, curled up with Allen.

"Your dad might be home soon... you should turn off that light." You warned, indicating the bedside lamp.

He did as he was told. Cuddling in the dark, he brought up, "Y'know... our nights won't always be like this,"

You felt saddened by the reminder, "I know."

"So that's why, I've been thinking..." He paused, slightly nervous. "Me and you. We need a plan."

"To do what?"

"To escape."

Your breath hitched._ You knew exactly what he was talking about._

"Cliche as it sounds, we run away together. No more Henry, no more Lauren, no more of my excuse for a father. You, me, and the little president take off to live on our own. We could make it—I know we could."

This way, there would be no more hiding. No more sneaking around.

At first thought, the idea seemed wonderful.

You couldn't stand living with Henry and Lauren anymore. They were heartless, cruel, horrible. And Allen said you could take Peter with you? That... just about covered everything. It felt like he was the only reason why you were still with them. You couldn't let Henry or Lauren harm your little brother, and that was why you stayed.

But... what would _Alfred_ think about something like that? What if he heard from his dad or Henry that you had gone missing...? How much would that _destroy_ him?

...Alfred wouldn't tell, would he? That you were dating Allen?

Surely if he did tell your foster parents, they would know he was at fault. Especially if Allen left without telling his own father. It would be easy to put the pieces together, and they'd come look for you. Well, mostly Peter. And then they'd probably never let you go near Allen again.

Of course, this was _if_ you got caught.

You thought more about Alfred. You knew for a fact that he wouldn't approve of this idea; he'd get angry at you simply for thinking about it.

You'd had feelings for him for the past three years. If you left without telling him... well, he would never know.

Allen had completely distracted you from him. Honestly, you missed Alfred—much more than you thought. You couldn't help but think of him as Allen kissed you and pulled off your clothes in the dark. "Just us... no parents... How great would that be?" Allen pressed his lips to your bare chest.

Your mind was somewhere else.

What did Alfred think of you? What _would_ he think of you? And most importantly... would you always stay his best friend?

The string of thoughts brought on a flashback.

_...It was freshman year in high school._

_One Saturday, you had gone to see your biological dad in—as expected—a rather shady neighborhood._

_You were shocked that Henry and Lauren had even allowed you to visit him, so you weren't too bothered. After all, you hadn't seen him since you were taken into foster care._

_You'd heard that he had relapsed. You wanted to try and convince him into staying sober._

_Unfortunately, you'd picked the wrong day to see him._

_When the local bus dropped you off at his place, he hadn't answered the door. It was open, so you walked inside._

_He hadn't remembered that you were coming. He was piss-drunk and clearly 'on something'. Wow—so he'd became a drug addict too?_

_He didn't see you come in. You weren't sure if you should stay. The problem was, none of the local buses would be coming by for a while. Both Henry and Lauren were out of town for work. You were trapped here._

_Worried and with no one to talk to, you called Alfred. "I have no way home!" You told him._

_He'd been at football practice across town. "Has he said anything to you?"_

_Not yet. But, you had seen what the horrors of alcohol had done to your father. It was because of it that the public authorities said he could no longer take care of you. His drinking was out of hand, and the last time he was drunk in front of you, he almost started abusing you. It was terrifying and you couldn't bring yourself to face him. With the added substance of drugs, you knew you couldn't let him see you. "No. I'm so out of here." You told Alfred as you walked right back out._

_"Then what are you gonna do? I heard that neighborhood's... not so nice." He meant to say, 'ghetto as fuck'._

_"I'm gonna try to walk ho—"_

_"-No freakin' way! Your house is too far and someone's gonna shoot you!" Indeed, the people around here looked kind of dangerous._

_"I know... maybe I should just hide until—"_

_"-Are you safe right now?"_

_You were in the alley between your father's apartment building and another. This place appeared to be abandoned. "Yeah but—"_

_"-Stay right there. Don't move. You hear me? Don't move and STAY RIGHT TH—" The line went dead._

_Maybe his phone died. But, why did he want you to stay here?_

_It was getting dark. What were you to do?_

_You noticed a liquor store across the street. Maybe someone over there could tell you when the next bus was coming by._

_You spent the next fifteen minutes there asking people for a schedule. But, only **nice** people. Still, no one knew the times._

_"I'm so screwed..." You thought as you walked back outside to the alley. Alfred had told you not to move, but he was just being protective, wasn't he...?_

_You felt your heartbeat quicken as a group of older teenagers noticed you crossing the street. They were males, and staring at you as you walked. What could they possibly want...?_

_"Hey girl... what'cha doin' there?"_

_Ignore them, you told yourself. Ignore them._

_More of them started calling out to you. One after another. You were breathing so hard that you couldn't make out what they were saying—nor did you want to. It sounded like they were trying to get you over there. You stayed in your alley, but it wasn't long until they walked over to you themselves. "What, are you trying to hide from us~?"_

_They were wearing black bandannas, silver jewelry, and sleeves of tattoos. You didn't want anything to do with them. "Please stay away from me—"_

_You didn't get to finish the sentence. As they advanced, a car roared down the alley._

_"...The fuck? Someone tell that motherfucker to slow down—" They glared towards the racing vehicle, until they realized it was headed straight for them, down the long alleyway. "...Well shit, are they tryna run us over or wh—"_

_The car didn't stop. The group was momentarily blinded by headlights. You gasped, and started running. No matter what, it didn't look like you could escape the car. It was going to smash the entire group to the dirty ground._

_The group of delinquents/ gangbangers/ stoners or WHATEVER the hell they were ran faster than you. Twice did you almost get trampled by them in their hurry to escape the nearing vehicle._

_Once they turned a corner to safety and dashed off to escape the streets... the car immediately stopped._

_You were almost around the corner when you suddenly heard your name._

_"...AM I YOUR HERO OR WHAT?!"_

_You stopped dead in your tracks. That voice sounded like... and that phrase... and your name..._

_No._

_ALFRED HAD NOT DRIVEN A CAR HERE **AND** CHASED OFF A BUNCH OF GHETTO SAVAGES?!_

_He jumped out of the vehicle, clad in his football jersey. "I knew they'd escape eventually, and you'd be left here. Don't worry! I wouldn't have ran you over! I'm not THAT bad at this driving thing yet!"_

_You were still in shock. "...ALFRED, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE YOUR PERMIT?!"_

_He'd been at football practice. He didn't have his permit, much less license, even more less a car, for fuck's sake, he was only fourteen, and—_

_"So are you mad that I saved you?"_

_His question made all horrors of his actions cease in your mind. You **weren't** supposed to be horrified of what he did. He'd done it for you; he did it only because he thought you were in trouble. You **were** in trouble. "...No. Of course not. Thank you..." But he could get in a lot of trouble, too. "Whose car is that?"_

_As if just barely realizing HOW ILLEGAL this was, he explained in a mumbled rush, "Uh well I wanted to protect you and my parents are on vacation so they couldn't help and I was at football practice so I kinda left and jumped into a senior's car since he left the keys in his gym bag and drove over here because I've driven a golf cart once and thought it was basically the same thing, it wasn't but I was good enough not to get pulled over and—OOF!"_

_He was cut off by your hug-tackle. "-Alfred... I can't believe you did all that for me. Thank you so much!"_

_Almost knocked over by the force of your embrace, he sighed and held you tightly. "I-I guess I justlikeyouthatmu—er I mean, you're s-special enough to me, y'know...?" His skin suddenly felt warm._

_"Yeah... I guess..." You continued to hug him, pressing your cheek to his collar bone. You'd been too caught up in what he'd just done for you than to hear his reason._

_He nuzzled his face into your hair, breathing hard. "...Dude, I'll always be your hero—and I promise to keep you safe from those villains."_

**_It was in that time that you began to fall hard for Alfred._**

...Would he ever tell anyone about what you were doing with a gun-obsessed ex-con?

* * *

**A.N.:** ...So would he?

I miss writing Alfred. The flashback wasn't enough ;-; I think he should make an official reappearance soon, dudes. But what would Allen think?

Review if you want... T_T


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